Human
by YourFavoriteCONTRACTOR
Summary: After and angry accusation from Jazz, Maddie has been thinking. If ghosts were once human, what about dying makes them evil, and more importantly, is it possible to reverse this process? She tests her theory out on the unsuspecting Danny Phantom.
1. So it begins

Danny sighed entering the house his parents were ranting again about "putrid protoplasm", and "post human consciousness." Danny rolled his eyes and continued past the angry couple electing to sit next to Jazz.

"I take it Phantom gave them the slip again?" Jazz asked Danny nodded his head colliding with the table in his exhaustion.

"Took nearly an hour... But yes." Danny gave Jazz a weak smile, "In the mean time I get to spend the rest of my night hunting down Technus, ghost master of all things 'hip' and outdated." Danny sighed his head still firmly glued to the table. Jazz sighed, she loved her parents and all but at times like this she just wanted to ram their skulls together.

Danny groaned loudly as he got up from the table and wandered toward the stairs. After staring at the stairs a good minute he forced himself up. Jazz sighed glaring at her parents, of course Danny wouldn't complain or do anything to stop the ghosts such as demolishing the Fenton Portal the source of so much of his troubles, but the least Jazz could relive some of Danny's pain.

Jazz snapped her book shut and marched up to her parents glaring.

"Can't you two ever stop to think! You say all ghosts are evil, that they have no emotion, then you toss around things like post-human consciousness, post-HUMAN! If ghosts were once human what about dying automatically makes them evil, if they were human once why can't they still be recognized as a intelligent form of humanity, Ecto-Americans!" Jazz glared folding her arms angrily. Then without leaving her parents a chance to argue the point Jazz flipped her long orange hair over her shoulder and continued walking up the stairs to Danny's room.

As she reached the door Jazz hesitantly knocked. When there was no answer Jazz let her self in to find Danny collapsed on the bed snoring. The door hit the wall and Danny jolted awake noticing Jazz his face screwed up in thought as he tried to form words.

"I... I was just resting my eyes." Danny blushed. Jazz sighed.

"Come on Danny, you need rest." Jazz insisted.

"No... I have a technophilliac running around with another half baked plan to take over the world with technology and make us all his slaves blah, blah, blah. I can't rest." Danny insisted.

"Please Danny." Jazz begged. Danny shook his head transforming into his alter ego with a flash of light.

"Besides, ghosts don't NEED sleep." Danny flashed a grin then turned and walked into a wall forgetting to go intangible and twirling around before proceeding to fall onto the ground face up. He raised a gloved hand as if pointing at the ceiling his eyes closed. "Though sleep definitely helps." Danny grumbled before changing back into his human form unexpectedly. "I... Uh meant to do that." he informed his sister half-heartedly.

"I'm so convinced." Jazz replied rolling her eyes.

"Hey I'll be fine." Danny yawned stretching and standing up once more.

"You need to get some rest, you're like the walking dead." Jazz scolded. Danny burst out laughed at this causing Jazz to blush when she realized what exactly she had said.

"You know what I meant don't be so morbid." Jazz glared. Danny snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

"What ever you say Jazz." He smiled causing Jazz to roll her eyes at his antics.

"I can't believe the fate and safety of this town is in your hands." Jazz teased. Danny folded his arms defiantly and stuck his tongue out.

"That's not entirely true, it's in Sam and Tucker's hands too." Danny argued.

"Exactly, Tucker stuck a fry up his nose the last time I saw him." Jazz grimaced.

"Excuse me, but that was on a dare." Danny reasoned.

"And who dared him to do it?" Jazz pressed.

"Sam." Danny stated as-matter-of-fact-ly.

"I rest my case." Jazz folded her arms. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me but Tucker could hack government files with only a PDA, that's not counting what he could do with a computer. And Sam can pull information on the occult, or practically anything, faster than you could blink." Danny defended. Jazz conceded the point, but still was unwilling to be wrong.

"That doesn't change the fact you need rest." She continued staring down her younger brother who shrugged.

"I'll rest when I'm dead." Danny joked.

"Danny-" Jazz started but was cut off by Danny's battle cry.

"Goin' ghost." He smiled winking at Jazz as two rings of brilliant white light formed moving over his body; black hair were replaced with white, deep blue eyes were replaced with a glowing green, and his street clothes shifted to a black and white HAZMAT jumpsuit. A stylized DP on his chest. Danny suppressed a yawn as he floated upward, he gave an encouraging smile to his sister than floated through the wall before taking off into the night.

Downstairs Maddie had come to a sudden a human could become a ghost, shouldn't it be possible to reverse the process?

Maddie suddenly had formulas and theories running through her head as she contemplated this new discovery because of what Jazz said. If a ghost was indeed post human consciousness it had therefore been human at one time, was it therefore possible to reintroduce the human to this equation. Maddie set to work immediately working out an answer and locking herself in the basement where her husband and her started working on a new experiment.

* * *

><p>Danny defeated Technus pulling him easily into the thermos after Tucker deactivated all his tech. Danny then flew home and landed in a heap on his bed changing back to the dark haired Danny Fenton the minute his body touched his bed. As he lay on the cool sheets Danny let the thermos fall from his grip where it rolled and came to a stop beneath his bed, upsetting the technology master contained with in.<p>

A soft snore came up from his mouth the young Halfa fell asleep almost instantly. Jazz peeked into Danny's room for what felt to her like the billionth time that night. Finding him asleep Jazz smiled before creeping into the room, easing Danny's shoes off and tucking him under the covers. Jazz picked up the thermos gingerly from under the bed and exited the room closing the door behind her.

Danny let out a deep sigh and snuggled deeper into his covers. Jazz snuck downstairs her parents having gone to bed for the night. She emptied the thermos into the ghost zone and returned it to Danny's room stopping to kiss her younger brother on the forehead as he slept.

* * *

><p><em>A young purple cloaked ghost watched the scene silently in a large clock face before the scene changed to that of the Fenton lab green glowing ectoplasm turned red, it had changed into blood, an orange haired woman in a blue jumpsuit threw her arms around the figure of a huge orange jump-suited man. Once more the scene changed to that of a boy eyes colored a deep emerald green were wide with fear. The boy to whom those eyes belonged to backed up against a wall, loose white shirt stained with gruesome red color. The scene changed again this time to a grave. The emerald eyed boy laying flowers on the grave eyes no longer just a deep human emerald but a glowing acid green. The purple cloaked ghost grew ages a long white beard appearing before turning away from the spying glass.<em>

_"Everything is as it should be."_


	2. First Breath

The glowing green liquid in the vial stated glowing fiercely as a strong electrical current was run through it. Once the current ceased the glowing stopped and a muddy colored liquid was in it's place Maddie placed it in the scanner. The box ghost was contentedly playing with a box while trapped in a glowing cage. Maddie came back with the scan's results. Cujo paced his glowing cage chewing on a toy and occasionally barking.

"50 percent ectoplasm, 50 percent human blood." Maddie read off excited. She eyed the liquid. The ectoplasm and blood was separating, the lighter ectoplasm flowing toward the top. Jack jumped like an excited puppy.

"More electricity!" he yelled placing a different vial of ectoplasm in the holder where the former was. They doubled the output of electricity. The glowing cooled and Maddie grabbed the new vial scanning it quickly.

"30 percent ectoplasm 70 percent human blood." Maddie rattled off. The ectoplasm was once again separating. They removed the vial and replaced with another of just ectoplasm once more. They put the electricity output to max. This time when the light faded, the green ectoplasm slowly swirled around in the vial. Maddie frowned. Then she saw it. A ribbon of red working it's way through the ectoplasm from bottom to top. Maddie gasped. The red became more apparent and began to change faster. Soon the entire thing was red. Maddie scanned it with trembling hands. She looked up flinging her arms around her husband.

"100 percent human, 100!" they yelled with triumph. Upstairs Danny had just walked into the house. Jack smiled spinning his wife around in celebration of their new success.

* * *

><p>Danny stared at the table, another painful looking gun being assembled. Danny shivered not wanting to know what this one did. As Maddie focused intently on it her brow furrowed. Danny pulled out a bowl of cereal and sat down pouring milk into the bowl and crunching contently on Frosted Flakes.<p>

Maddie dropped a piece that gave out an electric shock that turned Danny's cereal blue. Danny stared at it for a minute then debated whether or not to continue eating it almost putting the spoon in his mouth before putting it back into the bowl and standing up dumping it into the hazardous waste basket.

You can imagine how much fun the Fentons had keeping Danny out of that as a toddler.

Danny then picked his bag up from its position on the floor by the stairs and headed out the door leaving Maddie to continue working on her invention.

Jack came down a few minutes later pulling a carton of eggs and a pound of bacon out of the fridge. He looked over at Maddie.

"Hey sweetums, what you working on?" Jack asked. Maddie smiled.

"It's the same thing as the experiment in the lab, except on a larger scale. Now that we've found the ratio of electricity to ectoplasm that we need to convert the ectoplasm back to human cells mainly blood then we just have to fire this at a ghost and it will shock them into a human." Maddie smiled, "We could win the Nobel Peace Prize for this." She smiled, "It could bring ghosts back to life, reunite dead loved ones, and insure stable relations between ghosts and humans." Maddie smiled widely. Jack nodded.

"Man that's hot." Jack said. Maddie smiled.

"Thank you, here's a cookie." Maddie pulled a cookie off a baking sheet and then continued back to her work. Jack ate the cookie not commenting on the fact that it was blue.

Maddie continued to assemble the gun carefully then smiled plugging it into the wall to charge. Jack went about fixing breakfast and Maddie went down stairs picking a blob like ghost out of a container. She then ran some electricity through it and the ghost turned into a butterfly and flew off. Maddie smiled, it was nothing short of a scientific miracle.

Maddie frowned; it was a pity it took so long to charge up though. Maddie sighed, she'd have to fix that design flaw later but for now it served its purpose. Maddie turned to the happy ghost dog chewing on a bone and the blue man with the overalls. Maddie picked up the Box Ghost, who gave out a "beware" through his muzzle, then released him into the zone, if he was annoying dead, he'd be just as annoying alive and wasn't worth the trouble. Maddie then bent down and scrutinized the ghost dog for the first time in her life she could almost see it as a sentient creature… no matter in an hour or so it could be.

* * *

><p>Danny came home to a yipping puppy with soft brown fur and the biggest puppy dog eyes in the world. Danny smiled and crouched down to pet the dog, Maddie smiled at her achievement, the dog was alive again. Danny laughed as the dog jumped on him and licked his face.<p>

"You remind me of another puppy." Danny whispered then looked up at his mom, "We got a dog?" he asked, "I thought it was too dangerous to have pets." Danny said picking up the puppy happily, his parents wouldn't let him have pets because it was too dangerous with all their experimentation, the last pet he had had died, or so it seemed, because of a bad experiment.

"Well I suppose you can keep him, we'll need him anyway. Just make sure he doesn't get into the lab and pick up after him." Maddie smiled, she would need to keep an eye on the dog to monitor her experiment anyway.

"Alright!" Danny fist pumped then held the puppy above his head.

"What do you say Cujo, want to come check out your new home?" Danny asked, Maddie smiled at her son. Cujo yipped happily then licked Danny again.

"I think that's a yes." Danny laughed then set the puppy down going up the stairs with the dog at his heels. Maddie smiled then went downstairs polishing her new weapon.

* * *

><p>Danny lazily drifting through the sky, school was over, the air was clear, there didn't seem to be any major enemies out and about, maybe the box ghost, but Danny bet his parents still had him in their custody. Danny smiled floating on his back then he leaned back as if diving into a pool and flipped over in a long lazy loop before taking off again skimming buildings and drifting through cars. All in all it was a peaceful night.<p>

Danny landed softly on the top of the Ops center not quite ready to go inside and pretend he was asleep yet, like his parents would notice anyway. He could probably be gone for a month and they wouldn't notice unless Jazz said something. Danny smiled trying to make the image a funny one but he felt sad and shook his head dispelling the thoughts.

"Maybe I should go get a Nasty Burger and fries." Danny thought out loud. Then he shrugged, "Ah well… I guess I can always get some tomorrow. I mean it's no fun to go at night, there's no one to hang with." Danny leaned back against one of the many towers on the Ops center. He began humming to a song, "Lips Like Morphine" by Kill Hannah, he didn't mind the song, it was ok, and catchy, and Sam had introduced him to the band. Danny closed his eyes.

"I wonder if anyone would notice if I disappeared." Danny wondered briefly, _Besides Sam, Tucker, or Jazz._ He added mentally. Then he frowned.

"My own parents don't even notice I'm dead." Danny hung his head then laughed, "Maybe I'm feeling a bit to angsty tonight." Danny laughed out loud sitting up and bringing one knee up the other bent toward him. Danny draped his arm over the knee and laughed, "Who am I talking to anyway? Myself, that's crazy you know." Danny said, then he sighed.

"Hello… who ever is up there watching, and I'm guessing Clockwork is one of them… what happens now?" Danny asked, "I mean… I don't know what to do after this… should I let my parents know I'm dead? Would they care, or would they take me apart molecule by molecule?" Danny wondered. Then he sighed, "I'll have to figure something out." Danny said, "What's going to happen next?" he wondered leaning back again.

"This." A voice said. Danny gasped in shock whirling around to be met with his mother holding a gun.

"Oh…" Danny barely even got the chance to stand up before he was blasted off the roof. Danny tried to stand up but couldn't focus through the pain receptors firing all over his body. Danny screamed, this was almost as bad as the portal accident.

Danny tried to crawl away from the crater he'd made after falling off the Ops center, but couldn't move and could only moan in pain. His body spasmed, Danny wondered what the new weapon did and why he couldn't stop feeling pain. The cold in his chest drifted further away thought Danny felt like he should hold onto it.

Danny screamed again back arching eyes rolling up into his skull whites showing as the weapon affected him.

Maddie made it down to the ground level watching the ghost boy shriek, her eyes bright and curious as she watched him change. It was like watching the puppy just at a much higher degree.

The ghost boy's glow was being drained away crackles of acid green electricity surrounding his body. His flesh seemed to tan as he writhed in the street. His green eyes were slowly losing their glow as well becoming an incredible emerald colour. The boy continued to scream the screams slowly dying in his throat as the boy grew still. He didn't breathe, for a minute Maddie panicked and rushed over to the boy.

Danny took in a breath it burning his newly formed human lungs and he let out a sob as he continued to breath and it hurt. Danny figured this is what being born would feel like. Danny cried warm arms around him comforting him. Danny eventually calmed down falling asleep in the strong arms.

* * *

><p>Maddie took the boy in here arms her motherly instincts kicking in. She realized that this boy had been a ghost moments before but now he was human, and in pain. Maddie gathered the boy into her arms and kissed his forehead gently in a motion that she'd used on her own son many times. The boy's unnatural white hair drifted across his eyes, but hung very humanly down. The glow that illuminated the hair to its unnatural silvery color gone.<p>

The boy in her arms actually bore a remarkable resemblance to her baby boy now that she saw him up close and not as a ghost. Her heart broke knowing his parents didn't know or realize he was dead. She wanted to find them and give them a piece of her mind. She wondered if they even cared or if he was an orphan. Maddie shushed the boy's crying. The puppy to had yelped upon breathing with his new lungs as well. The boy in her arms was like a newborn in that manner. Maddie soothed him and tried to get him to calm down.

"Mom…" the boy cried not seeming to realize it. Maddie froze, but the boy was delirious and probably couldn't tell that the person holding him was not his mother. Maddie smiled, then again in a way she was, she'd given the boy a second chance at life hadn't she? The boy's jumpsuit was torn in a few places and charred from the blast but other than that it wasn't too messed up. The boy eventually quieted himself and fell asleep. Maddie pulled up and carried him into her house like she would a baby.

Maddie knocked on Danny's door. When she received no answer she opened it finding Danny gone. Maddie shrugged, he was probably with one of his friends. Maddie laid the now human Danny Phantom on the bed and changed him out of his jumpsuit, some of Danny's pajamas fitting Phantom perfectly. Phantom then snuggled into the warmth of the bed and Maddie brushed his white hair out of his face taking a seat on her son's bean bag to watch the sleeping former ghost like she had watched her own son when he was a baby. The boy didn't stir but continued to sleep Maddie's eyes drifted slowly shut.


	3. Shock

Danny woke up groaning looking up at the ceiling as he blinked feeling disoriented and lost. He put a hand to his head feeling a headache coming on then rolled over in an attempt to go back to sleep. Maddie had woken up at the sound of Danny's groan and went over placing her hand on the former ghost boy's back.

"How are you feeling?" Maddie asked. Danny looked up.

"Fine." Danny answered then closed his emerald eyes. Maddie nodded.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Maddie asked. Danny groaned.

"Tired. Sleep now." He mumbled. Maddie released her hand from his back shocked by how human he seemed, how much like her own baby boy he was.

"Ok. If you need anything just ask." Maddie said. Danny gave a short grunt and Maddie tucked the white haired boy into bed. Without another word she settled back down into her son's bean bag observing the ghost boy. After a while watching the rise and fall of the boy's chest she checked her watch it was four in the morning. Maddie sank further into the bean bag and soon fell back asleep.

It wasn't long however until Danny's bladder woke him up. He usually phased through the door to get to the hall easier at odd hours when he was sure his family wasn't awake. This time however something didn't feel right about triggering his powers, almost like they were gone, sure enough Danny walked smack into the door and fell back down. The light clicked on and Maddie helped him up.

"Wha-" Danny said disoriented. He rubbed his eyes trying to get used to the bright light.

"Are you ok? What's wrong?" Maddie asked.

"Bathroom." Danny mumbled. Maddie nodded then opened the door leading him to the bathroom, which Danny thought was weird. Another light blared on burning the teen's retinas. Danny turned closing the door and taking a leak his eyes wandering until he finished.

Danny fixed his pants and then washed his hands glancing up into the mirror then back down at his hands. He then froze. He could see white hair in the warped image of the sink faucet. Danny turned off the sink and dried his hands before slowly looking into the mirror.

Danny screamed. Maddie opening the door as Danny stared at himself in the mirror.

"IM HUMAN!" Danny said touching his face, "PHANTOM IS HUMAN!" Danny gapped. Maddie gripped onto the boy's shoulders.

"Yes, calm down, its ok, you're alive again, calm down." Danny continued to stare at the mirror in shock. Jazz had heard her brother's scream and came bolting down the hall.

"DANNY!" Jazz yelled but noticing a human Phantom in the bathroom she froze as did her father who went a step further and pulled out a ghost weapon from you really don't want to know where.

"FREEZE SPOOK!" Jack yelled. Maddie shielded the boy with her body.

"No Jack, he's human now." Maddie said. Jack slowly lowered the ecto-weapon.

"You mean it worked?" Jack asked then he swung his wife into a hug and a kiss.

"IT WORKED!" Jack yelled. Danny however was hyperventilating and holding his face one hand on the mirror.

"Not good, so not good!" He was saying, and then he shivered, "So very not good." He clutched his arms his nails digging through the fabric and into his arm. Jazz tried to get him to let go before he drew blood. Danny was frantically shaking and trying to keep it together beads of sweat appeared on his skin. Danny started to look lost his body waving as if he was on a ship. Maddie finally took notice feeling Danny's forehead. He was cold and clammy, his pupils were dilated and he was shivering.

"Phantom." Maddie spoke soothingly, "Its ok." Danny shook his head.

"Oh, this is not right, not right… its not good… my parents…" Danny shook his head. Maddie continued to try and calm them.

"Phantom, calm down, lets go lay down, ok. I'll explain everything." Maddie said. Danny shook his head again his deep green eyes darting around worriedly.

"I… I can't… oh god… Jazz what do I do…" Danny looked down at himself. "I can't go ghost… I can't… I can't phase… I can't…" Danny shook his head, "No, not right." Danny muttered. Maddie slowly tried to calm the boy down and got him to his room laying him down on the bed and placing pillows under his feet. Jazz followed Jack as well as Danny shivered and Maddie tucked blankets around him warming him up and trying to comfort him. Jazz watched wondering if she knew.

"Mom… is that… is that Phantom?" Jazz asked at last.

"Yes sweetie. Will you go bring a big glass of water?" Maddie asked. Jazz left.

"Hey baby, why are you being so nice to the ghost boy?" Jack asked.

"Because he's not a ghost anymore, he's human and he's scared." Maddie said. Jazz who had paused in the hall heard this and clenched her fists storming down the stairs. Her mom had heard what Jazz said but had interpreted to suit her needs.

Danny eventually was able to calm down, drinking water and taking a muscle relaxer helped that. Though Maddie was kind of worried to give him that and some water in case he threw up. Maddie had shoed Jazz and Jack away and was the only one in the room with Danny. As Maddie continued to sooth the boy until Danny sat right up his human green eyes staring at her intently.

"What happened to me?" He wondered. Maddie smiled.

"I brought you back to life. I made you human again." Maddie said as if it were the best thing in the world, "See what I did was convert your ectoplasm into living cells. Kind of like a Frankenstein effect you see." Danny stared at her.

"But… oh god, everything is so messed up." Danny said pulling at his white hair, "How could you do that! How am I supposed to fight ghosts now? Oh god… my parents." Danny groaned.

"I know about your parents." Maddie said.

"Wait… you do? What do you mean… I…" Danny asked, he figured if she knew his secret she wouldn't have done that to him in the first place. Danny rubbed his hands through his hair again nervously.

"I heard you on the roof, you said your parents don't even know that you're dead. If you don't want to go back you can stay here; my own son probably won't mind, my daughter won't either. I'm willing to take you in." Maddie said. Danny froze.

"Hey aren't you the same woman that has been shooting at me trying to kill me… again, wanting to dissect me, tear me to shreds and rip me apart molecule by molecule?" Danny said, "Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?" Danny asked.

"Well, because you're human now, you weren't aware of your actions as a ghost, you were just a manifestation of post human consciousness, now that you are actually human you can adapt, grow, learn and think." Maddie said matter-of-fact-ly. Danny turned red then turned and breathed deeply.

"Look, Maddie, name the evil things I've done and I'll tell you what the circumstances were." Danny said trying to use this to his advantage.

"Kidnapping the Mayor." Maddie said.

"He was overshadowed by a ghost named Walker that was trying to turn the entire town against me. Needless to say it worked quite well." Danny responded sitting on his bed.

"Going on a rampage and stealing precious items, gold, paintings, even an Egyptian statue." Maddie said.

"I was being controlled. All that stuff was found in Freakshow's train cars right? You remember that glowing crystal ball on the staff he always had with him? Well, it's an item that is used to control ghosts. He took control of me and made me do horrible bad things. I hated every minute of it, I can only vaguely remember what happened during that time but… what I can remember… well it's not very good." Danny hung his head.

"You've caused untold damages to our town." Maddie said growing angry despite the fact that this boy was no longer a ghost, he still protected them, which pissed Maddie off.

"So have you and Jack!" Danny said then he paused and whispered something to himself and continued talking, "Would you rather untold damages be taken out on the citizens, I try and keep the ghost fights contained as possible, but when you're flying and punching and pounding and getting pounded its harder than it looks. I don't purposefully smash through walls!" Danny said he too was growing aggravated as well.

"You were a ghost at the time so I don't hold any of it against you." Maddie said trying to curb her anger.

"Yeah!" Danny said his anger growing, "What if I was a freaking vampire at the time, or a yeti, or Darth Vader! That has nothing to do with it!" Danny yelled, "I'm going to keep protecting Amity Park, Dead, Alive or in between." Danny huffed.

"What if it was your son that was a ghost!" Danny threw at Maddie shocking her. Maddie paused.

"That's different." She said.

"Why because I'm alive now! Because your son was alive and you knew him when he was, if he turned into a ghost you wouldn't see him different because of that?" Danny yelled standing up, "IF YOU KNEW ME IN MY HUMAN FORM AND KNEW IT WAS ME IN MY GHOST FORM WOULD YOU STILL SHOOT AT ME! WOULD WE BE HERE RIGHT NOW! WOULD YOU HAVE RUINED A DELICATE BALANCE AND CLOCKWORK ONLY KNOWS WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT!" Danny began ranting.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING! YOU DON'T SEE, YOU DON'T CARE! IF YOU STOPPED OBSESSING ABOUT GHOSTS MAYBE YOU WOULD HAVE NOTICED. IF YOU STOPPED BEING SO SMALL MINDED, IF YOU STOPPED HATING, IF YOU JUST STOPPED…" Danny had tears running down his eyes, "Where is your son anyway?" Danny asked pleading with his eyes to get his mother to see him see what she had done, "He isn't here… is he dead? Is he alive? Do you know?" Danny dropped to his knees wishing he could fly out of there, "Do you even see him?" Danny asked looking up eyes filled with tears that he hastily wiped out of shame but purposefully left to show Maddie how much he hurt.

"Of course I see him, I see him in the mornings, and after school. He's probably at his little friends' house right now. They are always hanging out together." Maddie said, "You've been a ghost for so long you haven't felt real emotions in a while, so every little emotion will seem amplified. Its normal. So calm down." Maddie said. Danny laughed at the absurdity of it then threw up his hands.

"Fine, I give up. Do what you want, I'll just see what the hell happens from here." Danny threw himself on the bed and stared angrily up at the ceiling.

"Good night Phantom." Maddie said closing the door. Phantom scoffed and rolled his eyes Maddie gripped the doorframe but let it go since she figured he'd still be in shock. After Maddie closed the door Danny stood up.

"Goin' ghost!" he said punching his fists into the air.

"I said, goin' ghost!" He said. Nothing happened once more. Danny sighed then put a hand to his chest the pump of a heart beat beneath him. Danny sighed the familiar ghostly core was gone. Danny closed his eyes and lay down on the bed.

"I can't take this anymore." Danny said then he took of his pajamas and pulled on his usual set of clothes, blue jeans, white t-shirt with the red oval, collar, and sleeves. Danny then pulled a blue sweatshirt out of the closet and pulled it on over that before slipping on socks and taking his shoes in his hand. Danny peered out the door; his parents were in their room talking. Danny slipped down the stairs avoiding the squeaky parts that he had memorized just in case his ghost powers wouldn't work and he had to sneak out like he was doing now. He slipped out the door pulled up the hood and put his shoes on then took off down the street at a sprint.

"Damn it." Danny cursed to himself, "This is so not good."


	4. Runaway

Danny stared up at Sam's window. He tried to reach into himself and find that orb of cold that represented his ghost powers but there was nothing there, just the odd violent rush of blood through his veins. Danny hesitated then threw a rock at Sam's window. There was no answer. Danny threw another one glad that her window wasn't at the side of the building with the door so he could try and escape should her parents come out to get him. Sam's hand opened the window her eyes peering out.

"Sam!" Danny called. Sam yawned.

"What?" She asked irritated as she looked down at him obviously annoyed.

"I need your help." Danny whispered up at her.

"Just fly up then." Sam growled angry at being woken.

"I… Sam… Sam I can't." Danny said sounding scared. At this Sam changed her tone.

"I'll be right there." Sam disappeared inside her bedroom rummaging around and soon a ladder was thrown out of the window. Danny gripped the side and began climbing up the wobbly rope ladder before collapsing in Sam's room breathing heavily.

"Ow." Danny said before rolling over and standing up. He faced the wall away from Sam who put a hand on his shoulder.

"Danny, you're scaring me." Sam said. Danny's frame stiffened and he slowly turned. Sam saw green eyes and nearly punched Danny in the face for they weren't Phantom's glowing green eyes they were a very human green. A deep human green. However, upon seeing Danny's snow-white hair, though lacking in its usual glow Sam's fist stopped. Danny turned to face her full on pressing Sam's hand into his chest.

"I… I'm human." Danny said. Sam fell backward onto her bed staring at Danny as she stared.

"Shit." Sam said, "Shit." She repeated. Danny sat on the bed with her and stared at his human hands.

"What am I going to do?" Danny asked. Sam opened her mouth to speak then closed it before opening it again then sighing.

"I don't know." Sam said, "Did you tell Tucker?" Sam asked. Danny shook his head.

"No… not yet. I came here first… I… I don't know what I can do." Danny started breathing quickly, "Will I be stuck like this forever… oh god…" Danny buried his head in his hands his white hair poking out of the blue sweatshirt.

"I'm sure we'll figure something out." Sam said trying to be reassuring, "we always do right?" Sam asked. Danny nodded.

"I guess." He said dejectedly. Sam sighed.

"You guess…" Sam lay back down on the bed. Danny looked over at her.

"You know if this weren't so serious I would be laughing at your footie pajamas." Danny commented green eyes hinting a smile. Sam kicked him lightly with the stuffed face on her footie pajamas.

"Shut up, Jack rocks." Sam glared; the plush faced Jack Skellington grinning up at the two of them. Danny coughed a little then lay down next to Sam.

"I might not see you guys for a while." Danny said.

"I assumed." Sam answered sadly. Danny sighed heavily before standing up. He heard the roar of the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle going past then looked toward the window.

"I should go." He said softly. Sam nodded. Then Danny slunk toward the window white hair catching the moonlight giving it an almost ghostly glow before Danny proceeded down the ladder. His humanly green eyes and his white hair the last thing Sam would see of her friend for a long time.

* * *

><p>On the ground Danny was hastily running through back alleys and cutting through yards till he got to Tucker's house. Tucker being on the first floor it was much easier to break in and wake up his best friend.<p>

Danny jiggled the window open till the lock broke free, a technical flaw Tucker's parents always said they'd fix but they never had. Danny crawled through the window and into Tucker's room before shaking the African teen awake.

"But that's my bacon!" Tucker said steadily becoming conscious.

"Tucker, it's me… its Danny." Danny said Tucker opened his eyes then blinked.

"Yes Phantom those pickles do look withered." Tucker stated then rolled over. Danny his hand still out stretched in shock stared at Tucker before shaking him awake deciding laughing wouldn't be the best move.

"Tucker!" Danny said trying to get Tucker to wake up. Tucker groaned then tried waving Danny off.

"This is my bed, it's only for hot girls and cyber chicks." Tucker said. Danny getting frustrated grabbed the glass of water off Tucker bed stand and poured it on Tucker's head. Tucker got up water streaming from his face as he looked at Danny.

"You should have just shaken me awa- dude." Tucker said looking at Danny's human eyes to the absence of the eerie glow he usually carried as Phantom.

"Tucker… I need to be quick; I think my parents are out looking for me." Danny said, "I…" Danny scrambled for the right words; "I don't think I'll be seeing much of you for a while." Danny said softly. Tucker stared at him.

"This is because of the human thing right." Tucker asked. Danny nodded.

"I'm sure I'll be staying with my mom and dad as usual but I don't think that we'll be able to hang out." Danny rubbed his neck, "I… I'm probably… not going to see you guys for quite a while." Danny admitted.

"Please take care of Sam." Danny asked. Tucker frowned trying not to get emotional.

"Ok… and dude… take care of yourself." Tucker said. Danny nodded.

"I promise." Danny said creeping back out the window.

"Me too." Tucker said. Danny nodded then closed the window ghosting across the lawn and into the dark. Tucker laid down wondering if it would take long till he saw Danny again.

* * *

><p>Danny sat down on the park bench rubbing his hands together wondering why it was so cold. He blew warm air into his palms and shivered before bringing his legs up to his chest to conserve heat. Danny hadn't felt so cold since he got his ice powers, it wasn't the unnatural cold either, it was a distinctly human cold and that scared him. Danny shut his eyes tight against the rest of the world hoping that would warm him up as he shivered.<p>

"It isn't that cold, it isn't that cold." He told himself over and over. But his body knew differently as he shivered in the cold night. Danny felt a warm hand on his shoulder and looked up to see a policeman.

"Hey, you can't sleep here, its past curfew. Where are your parents?" the man asked. Danny blinked then shivered and sat up.

"I…" Danny shivered again. "I don't know." Danny looked up at the policeman his eyes wide and confused, "I'm… I'm human." He said. The policeman froze.

"Phantom?" he asked. Danny steadily looked down at his hands then grabbed a fist full of his own white hair still shivering.

"What is going to happen to me?" he wondered. The policeman put his hands on Danny's shoulders; Danny released his hair and looked up at the policeman.

"What happened?" The policeman asked looking at Danny intently.

"My… it… the Fentons they…" Danny blinked, "Oh wow I make no sense." Danny said shaking his head. He then looked at the policeman, "I must be a sight to see… oh god." Danny shivered again, "I… well the Fentons… they made me… human." Danny said, "So cold." Danny shivered. The policeman sighed.

"Come on you can warm up in my car." The man extended his hand, "My name is Pete by the way." Pete the policeman said. Danny nodded shivering and followed the man. Danny's stomach growled and he immediately grabbed him abdomen.

"Oh… uh… we can go to the Nasty Burger." The policeman said. Danny blushed.

"You really don't have to do all this." Danny said sounding more articulate now that he'd gathered his wits.

"No, it's ok. The way I see it is you've helped us out when we're in trouble so we might as well return the favor." Pete smiled opening the door to the side of the car and letting Danny get in. Danny sat down still shivering and waited as Pete got into the other side starting the engine and waiting a while for the car to heat up. The inside was strewn with garbage and various other things that Pete gathered up into a white Wal-Mart bag. Danny stared out the window waiting as Pete cleaned up the car a bit.

"We're a bit short on cruisers at the moment. A whole bunch of them got destroyed in that last big ghost invasion." Pete said, "We haven't been able to acquire the funding to replace them yet so a few of us just have to use our own cars." Pete explained. "Not quite the best thing for taking in criminals so we usually have to wait for a cruiser to come while we hold the perp. However, lately most criminals aren't the kind we can hold with cuffs." Pete smiled a bit.

"Yeah I suppose not." Danny said. Pete looked over at him.

"So… you're human?" Pete asked. Danny turned his emerald eyes onto the man and sighed.

"Yeah… no ghost powers, no goin' ghost, no nothing." Danny sighed.

"Well, who are you staying with?" Pete asked, "I mean do your parents know you're alive again." Pete said, "Not to be rude or anything." Pete explained.

"No. Don't worry about it. I guess you could say my parents think I'm still alive, that I was never a ghost in the first place. And I do look different from how I did when I was alive." Danny said, "That is probably a big factor as to why they never knew it was me." Danny said.

"I don't see how a family could not know their son was dead." Pete said angrily. Danny shrugged then stared at his hands once more. "Hey… you ok?" Pete asked the Nasty Burger's neon sign glowing in the distance.

"I'm fine… physically at least." Danny sighed, "I just don't know how… how I'm going to protect my town now." Danny said. Pete looked over at him.

"You're town?" he wondered. Danny laughed.

"Well I guess it's not really mine as I've put my name on it or marked it as territory… it's just the place I've grown up in since I was little. So in that way it's mine. I want to protect it, make sure it's safe. It wasn't something I thought of at first. I didn't want to be a ghost like any sane person would like to be a ghost right?" Danny chuckled, "But it was something I figured I might as well do after all. It… it's not really something I can explain… I guess it's more like noblesse oblige." Danny said.

"Noble what?" Pete asked.

"Oh… it's the only term I seem to remember from my government class. Basically its since I have power I'm obligated to use it for people who don't have the power I do. No, that's not exactly it. The original term was referring to nobles from England but I've adapted it for myself I guess." Danny said. Pete nodded.

"Who knew it was something so simple." Pete said. The car pulled to a stop in front of the menu with Nasty Nat and the speaker. Pete pulled out some bills.

"Welcome to Nasty Burger may I take your order." The bored voice said. Pete rolled down the window.

"Give us a minute." Pete said; he then turned to Danny, "what do you want."

"Just a Nasty Burger and fries with a Pepsi." Danny said. Pete nodded and repeated the order.

"You're total is $6.95 please proceed to the first window." The voice said. Pete pulled around the side of the building and stopped at the window. Valerie was working at the window.

"Six dollars and ninety five cents." She said with a fake smile. Pete handed her a ten and she returned the change " three o' five is your change, you're order will be out in a- YOU!" Valerie said looking over at Danny who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Great, what do you want… and what are you wearing?" Valerie asked. Pete knew there were people who bore ill will toward Phantom but the killer aura coming off Valerie made him shiver.

"I just want to eat, am I not allowed?" Danny replied snarkily.

"Sure, if ghosts could eat." Valerie said, "I don't know what you're up to ghost, but I'm going to find out." Valerie glared.

"That would be all fine and dandy, that is if I were a ghost at the moment." Danny said sarcastically. Valerie looked closer at him then frowned.

"You like Danielle?" She asked. Danny shook his head.

"No… not right now. I'm fully and completely human." Danny said. Valerie glared. Pete coughed.

"Um… our order." He wondered. Valerie glanced at Pete then seemed to realize for the first time that he was a police officer.

"Oh… right away." Valerie picked up the bag with the Nasty burger logo then handed it through the window.

"Thank you for eating at Nasty Burger. Phantom I'm going to have a long talk with you later." Valerie glared.

"Will it be painful?" Danny asked taking the bag from Pete. Valerie glared.

"Just get out of here." She said closing the window. Danny chuckled. Pete looked over at him.

"What was that about?" Pete asked, "Do you know her?"

"Yeah, because of a ghost dog when I was still staring out her life was ruined… and she blames me for it." Danny shrugged taking out the Nasty Burger and fries then biting ravenously into the burger whimpering in delight. Pete smiled even if he was a superhero… or former superhero; he was still a teenager Pete decided. Danny looked up at Pete.

"What?" he asked.

"You have ketchup on your face." Pete said turning the corner and parking down the street by one of the smaller neighborhood parks.

"Oh." Danny said grabbing a napkin. Danny smiled up at Pete, "Thanks." He said.

"No problem." Pete smiled.

"I'll pay you back somehow." Danny promised.

"Don't worry about it." Pete said.

"Of course I'll worry about it or I'll just feel like a mooch… I'm a bit short on cash though so…" Danny frowned then took a handful of fried.

"Hey, how about you just come sign my daughter's Danny Phantom poster and we call it even." Pete said. Danny laughed.

"You got a deal… though I'm not sure how much it would me with me like this." Danny frowned. Pete shrugged.

"You have a place to stay?" Pete asked.

"No… not really. The Fentons had me… but… I don't know if I want to go back there." Danny sighed.

"Stay the night with me and you can decide tomorrow." Pete said. Danny smiled.

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>Maddie frowned she couldn't find Phantom anywhere. It wasn't so easy looking for a human; he was harder to track now. Jack was raging about how he must have had help from a ghost or he wouldn't have been able to get so far. Maddie wasn't sure. Most of the other ghosts didn't like Phantom because he was a threat and he needed to be taken care of, they weren't likely to help him, they'd take advantage of the situation though and try and take him out. Though killing him would only result in what Maddie figured would be him turning into a ghost once more, so if anything they had captured him to keep him from gaining the control he once had over Amity which had dissolved due to his current homo-sapien status. There wasn't much else to do but find him hopefully before he fell into the hands of the ghosts.<p>

As much as she hated to admit it Phantom while a ghost was helpful at time. If the other ghosts got a hold of him while he was human they could rewire him before killing him and then they would have more issues than just Phantom being a ghost.


	5. Human

Pete fluffed up the pillows on the couch then glanced over at the clock.

"Sorry it's so late." Pete said as Danny stood there looking drugged.

"No, s'ok." Danny said with a yawn. Pete nodded then went into the other room and returned with a blanket. Danny in the meantime kicked off his shoes by and stood by the couch awkwardly.

"I could probably get a bigger house but…" Pete looked around, "I'm like my niece in the way that I'm not going to bask in luxury just because I have it. I still have a job and stuff, my brother is the one who squanders his money to keep up his prestigious appearance." Pete said.

"Sounds like a friend of mine." Danny said with another yawn. Pete nodded then handed Danny the blanket before disappearing down the hall. Danny stood there not quite sure what to do before he spread the blanket out on the couch and flipped back the corner so he could crawl in. After that Danny just sat on the couch-bed blinking not quite sure if he should sleep or not. He looked over at the clock that read 3:00 a.m. Pete was a very thorough police officer and though he apologized profusely for it he wouldn't take Danny to his house until his shift was over. Danny heard footfalls in the hall and looked up as Pete walked in in his pajamas with a tank top and shorts on.

"Are you good?" Pete asked. Danny stared at him and raised his eyebrows.

"You still have your hat on." He commented. Pete looked up.

"Oh." He said before pulling his hat off, "My wife and daughter get up pretty early some mornings, about seven or so even on weekends so they might wake you up." Pete said.

"I don't sleep much anyway." Danny said. Pete nodded.

"Well… goodnight." Pete said walking to the wall and flicking off the lights.

"Goodnight… and thanks." Danny said laid down and crawled under the blankets.

"Don't worry about." Pete, now just a black blob, said moving back to his room where presumably his wife slept. Danny closed his eyes and sunk into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>Danny opened his emerald green eyes to find a small girl staring at him. She wore black pajamas with a white girlish DP on the breast pocket and had a small stuffed Danny Phantom clutched to her chest. She had short black hair and kind of reminded Danny of Sam when they were younger complete with the strange purple eyes, though this girl's eyes were a deeper purple. The girl stared at Danny intensely her eyes narrowed before she stood up walking to the kitchen doorway and yelling.<p>

"MOOMMY! HE'S AWAKE!" She yelled. Danny sat up holding his head still tired.

"Shhhh Lydia." Policeman Pete's wife said coming in to the living room and wiping off her hands on a towel. She had brown hair unlike her daughter and husband with soft hazel eyes. She was tall and was neither fat nor skinny.

"Good morning, I'm making pancakes. Would you like some?" She smiled, "I'm Sarah by the way." Sarah smiled. Danny disentangled himself from the blankets and stood up holding out his hand.

"Danny. Pleased to meet you." Danny smiled. The little girl, Lydia grabbed Danny's pant leg she was about six years old.

"You really are Danny?" Lydia asked eyes wide. Danny nodded.

"Danny I am." He smiled. Lydia smiled then began hugging Danny's leg.

"Excuse her, she's been saying 'Danny Phantom is sleeping on our couch' all morning. My husband told me he brought you home but didn't tell me much else." Sarah smiled. Danny let Lydia hug his leg and nodded to Sarah.

"Don't worry about it. She's mostly right anyway." Danny said as Lydia beamed up at Danny. Sarah gave Danny a strange look.

"It's hard to explain… the Fentons…" Danny said, Sarah's face turned to one of recognition, "Well there was this experiment of theirs and… well I'm not so Phantomish anymore." Danny said. Sarah nodded.

"Well I've heard of undead poultry from the Fenton house so this doesn't surprise me." Sarah said.

"Undead poultry?" Danny blinked, "How do you know about the thanksgiving fiasco?" Danny asked. Sarah looked at Danny.

"Sam, Pete's niece, how do you?" Sarah asked. Danny turned bright red.

"Well… I uh… I kind of use the Fenton's portal… a lot." Danny blushed. Sarah smiled.

"I'm not going to turn you in." Sarah said.

"Mr. Phantom." Lydia finally spoke up, "Why aren't you a ghost anymore?" Lydia asked. Danny looked down.

"Because… uh… well I'm human now." Danny said, "It was a magic spell." Danny said mysteriously. Lydia stared hard at Danny.

"Well I'm glad, because now you get to eat with us, and you get to be alive." Lydia said, then she let go of Danny's leg and sighed heavily, "But magic spells always break you know." Lydia said before running to her room embarrassed. Sarah smiled.

"I'm getting ready to start the pancakes do you want to help?" Sarah asked. Danny nodded and joined her in the kitchen mixing pancake mix and handing watching as Sarah scooped out pancake mix onto the stove.

"My mom used to make pancakes." Danny said watching with a slight smile, "they would always glow though." Danny frowned, "It was really weird actually. I fed them to my pet hamster." Danny joked. A zombie came into the kitchen headed straight for the coffee.

"Good morning." Danny said. Pete mumbled something then poured his coffee and sat at the table. Sarah just laughed.

"He's not really animate until about a half hour after his coffee." Sarah smiled. Danny nodded.

"I used to be like that, except it was Pepsi not coffee, I used to drink it every morning before school…" Danny said. Lydia came bouncing back into the kitchen black hair in pigtails. She was now wearing a small black skirt with black jeans underneath and white shoes. She also had on a black shirt with a DP symbol on it. Lydia then giggled at Danny before hiding behind her dad who jumped at being suddenly attacked by the miniature DP fanatic. Danny waved at her and Pete just sucked down more coffee. Danny chuckled then flipped the pancakes.

"Used to?" Sarah wondered. Danny froze then looked up at her with wide eyes looking somewhat childish.

"Before… before I was a ghost." Danny said. Sarah froze suddenly reminded that the human boy in her house had indeed once been a ghost but even before then he'd been alive before. Danny smiled trying to break the tension just as Lydia attack Danny with a sharpie.

"Sign my posters?" She eyes deep purple eyes wide and innocent. Danny smiled then looked over at Sarah who took the spatula from him as Lydia led him away by the hand to her room. Sarah looked over at Pete who was blinking into his coffee.

"Do you think… that his parents want him back now?" Sarah asked, "He is alive again." Sarah said looking back to where Danny had exited Pete looked over at Sarah.

"As far as I can gather his parents never even knew he died." Pete said leaving Sarah with this haunting feeling.

* * *

><p>"And this one too." Sarah said Danny had nearly had a heart attack seeing his face all over.<p>

"I really need to put a trademark on my name." Danny joked as he signed another poster. Lydia gripped her plushy to her chest looking at Danny with awe. Danny turned smiling back down at her.

"Mr. Phantom…" Lydia said bouncing on her black and white Danny Phantom bedspread, "How did you die?" she asked Danny froze, "You is alive now because of the magic spell but when you were dead how did you die?" Lydia asked.

"Well…" Danny finished signing the poster and sat down next to Lydia who stared up at him with her big purple eyes.

"I had an accident in my parent's lab." Danny said. Lydia's eyes got wider if possible.

"Did it hurt… does it hurt to die?" Lydia asked.

"Well for me it did, I got electrocuted." Danny said. Lydia nodded.

"So… did your parents miss you?" Lydia asked. Danny smiled then ruffled her hair a bit causing her to giggle.

"I don't know I kept it a secret." Danny said. Lydia frowned.

"How do you keep dying a secret, when somebody dies in my family everyone knows and they're always sad." Lydia said. Danny sighed Lydia frowned discontent with his answer, "You're parents must have seen you fighting as a ghost, everyone has!" Lydia said. Danny laughed a little at her expression.

"But I looked different as a human." Danny said. Lydia shook her head.

"Nuh uh, you just don't really glow, you still look like you did when you were a ghost." Lydia said. Danny smiled at the girl, she definitely reminding him of Sam when she was younger. Sam was forever arguing and she was quite good at it for her age, made her parents red in the face.

"Well you see, when I became human this time they turned my ghost body human they didn't put me back into my body that I had when I was human." Danny said. Lydia's eyes went wide.

"They can do that?" She wondered. Danny shrugged.

"I guess so because here I am." Danny said. Lydia sat on the edge of her bed gripping her stuffed Phantom close before looking at Danny and throwing herself on him wrapping her arms around him. She let go quickly then blushed.

"What was that for?" Danny asked causing Lydia to blush deeper.

"I'm not really supposed to hug boys but… you looked sad." Lydia said. Danny touched his face.

"Did I?" Danny asked, Lydia nodded.

"Lydia?" Sarah opened the door Lydia hopped off the bed, "time to eat." Sarah said. Danny stood up and followed the mother and daughter out of the room taking a seat at the table where Pete was slightly more awake. Lydia ran up to her dad.

"Daddy! Wake up!" Lydia said Pete smiled down at Lydia.

"Hey Pumpkin." Pete smiled pulling the happy six year old onto his lap and tickling her while she squirmed and giggled till she was released and climbed into her seat. Danny sat down in the extra chair Sarah putting pancakes in front of him and then placing butter and syrup on the table along with napkins and juice. Pete yawned causing Danny then Lydia to yawn. Lydia giggled while waiting for Sarah to sit down.

"Looks delicious." Pete smiled. Danny inhaled.

"Smells amazing." He complimented.

"Looks great mom!" Lydia added.

"Thanks, all of you." Sarah smiled as Lydia dug into her pancake, Pete cutting his up and Danny cutting as he went practically breathing syrup and pancakes.

"Do you want to go to the park with me?" Lydia asked eating and swinging her little legs back and forth while Danny stared at his now empty plate.

"Umm…. I guess." Danny said. Lydia smiled pancake in her teeth while Sarah got after her for chewing with her mouth open or talking with food in her mouth. Pete finished eating then placed his plate in the dishwasher, he then headed, presumably, back to bed. Danny couldn't blame him, he had a late shift, it was nice that he spent time with his family before they left or before he went back to sleep. Danny looked at his empty plate and followed in suit before rinsing his hands off and going to the living room to fold the blankets on the couch.

A few minutes later he was struck with a sudden, though not totally uncommon urge.

"Um… where is the bathroom?" Danny asked shifting from foot to foot as he peeked his head into the kitchen. Sarah looked up.

"Oh, down the hall, it's the first door on the right." Sarah said. Danny nodded then proceeded to find the rest room. Finishing up his business Danny washed his hands and looked into the mirror jumping at his reflection a bit then staring it a while. With a sigh Danny turned off the sink then pausing a minute turned it back on filling his hand with water and rinsing out his mouth. With another sigh Danny realized he didn't have a toothbrush and he would probably have to go home sooner rather than later.

Danny exited the bathroom Sarah having taken care of the folded blankets since they were absent from the couch where he had slept. Danny fished his shoes out from under the couch a couple dust bunnies clinging to them. Lydia was coming out of her room with her jacket on and a big smile. Danny chuckled a little to himself as Sarah came out and ushered Lydia into the bathroom.

Danny sat on the couch till a smiling Lydia came bouncing down the hall and to the door waiting for her mom and Danny. Danny followed out the door as Lydia smiled taking both his and her mom's hand rushing out the door to the car where Sarah unlocked the doors and Lydia climbed in and then climbed up into her car seat buckling in. Danny got in the passenger side door noting how much cleaner Sarah's car was than Pete's. Pulling out of the drive way Sarah turned on the radio and Lydia started demanding Morbid Antisocial Youth much to Sarah's dismay and Danny was reminded how this little girl was related to Sam, which made him wonder why Sam hated babysitting her so much, or maybe it was her other cousins. Danny personally had never met any of them.

Danny smiled at the girl in the back seat.

"What's your favorite song?" Danny asked.

"My Parents Reek!" Lydia exclaimed. Danny laughed.

"Yeah, I like that one too." Danny answered. Sarah sighed and Lydia beamed. Sarah sighed.

"She gets her tastes from her cousin, she idolizes her." Sarah said, "As long as she doesn't start trying to raise the dead I guess we'll give her the freedom of expression, but since Sam knows so much about ghosts Lydia wants to be like her." Sarah said. Danny could see where a mother might be worried but Danny was also pretty sure Sam had never tried raising the dead again since sixth grade.

"Well… I guess it's good that she at least has a role model." Danny shrugged. Sarah nodded.

"That's true." Sarah turned the steering wheel rounding the corner and turning down a busier street. Lydia was rocking out in the back seat to M.A.Y. while Danny kept an eye out of the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle. Thankfully there was no sign of it and they continued to the park that Danny was familiar with. Pulling into the parking lot Lydia shot out of the car and headed straight for the play equipment her Danny Phantom plushy stuck into her waist band as she ran. Danny and Sarah followed behind at a slower pace Danny ignoring the strange looks he got from the parents of the children that were running rampant around the playground. Danny sat down next to Sarah but Lydia had other plans and she pulled him over to meet with her friends.

"This is Robbie and this is Andy." Lydia said. Danny waved and Robbie who was a little African boy shook his head.

"No way. He's not Danny Phantom." Robbie said his batman shirt covered in dirt and wood chips his tan cargo pants ripped open at the knees. Andy who was wearing a plan white shirt with blue shorts stared at Danny.

"I don't know Rob… it really does look like him." Andy said to Robbie. Lydia put her hands on her hips.

"It _is_ Danny Phantom. He told me himself." Lydia said while Danny was wondering if he should be offended by being called an "it."

"He could be lying!" Robbie said, "Plus he doesn't glow like a ghost!" Robbie said. Lydia frowned.

"I told you, there was a magic spell that made him human." Lydia glared. Robbie stuck his hands up and Andy interfered.

"Well magic is sort of hard to believe." Andy spoke up. Lydia turned her glare on him.

"But it's true." Lydia said. Robbie scoffed and turned to Danny.

"You're not really Danny Phantom are you?" Robbie said. Danny crouched down so he was approximately eye level with Robbie.

"I'll tell you a secret." Danny said, Robbie looked unimpressed.

"What?" Robbie asked. Danny smiled.

"I am Danny Phantom." Danny said, "I got turned human by the Fentons." Danny said. Robbie's eyebrows raised.

"Prove it." Robbie said. Danny stared at the boy.

"How? I don't have my ghost powers right now." Danny said. Robbie frowned.

"Then you're not Danny _Phantom_ anymore you're just a normal Danny." Robbie said. Lydia hit Robbie causing him to cry out.

"But it's true!" Robbie yelled in his defense. Andy tried to hold Sam back.

"Even if he isn't a ghost anymore he's still Danny Phantom and he will still protect us!" Lydia shouted angrily at Robbie. Andy was trying to drag her away. Danny frowned… he if wasn't a ghost did that really mean he wasn't Danny _Phantom_ anymore.

"Lydia." Sarah said sternly and Lydia stopped struggling. Danny sighed then looked at Lydia.

"You have to be good ok, or I think a lot of angry parents will be after me." Danny said looking around at the parents who had annoyed expressions and were all glaring at Danny thinking: "who does he think he is dressing up like that?" Lydia looked around the nodded.

"Alright." Lydia said.

"Now go play." Danny said. Lydia nodded and Andy let her go Robbie following behind a bit angry that he hadn't really won or lost the argument. Danny started back toward Sarah when a familiar face made him freeze.

"There you are!" Maddie said rushing to him.

"Uh…" was all Danny could really say.


	6. Suffocation

Maddie grabbed Danny's wrist Danny not struggling as she led him to the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle.

"Just what were you thinking young man?!" Maddie lectured in that motherly tone of hers, "We turn you human, give you a life, and this is how you repay us?" Maddie asked incredulous. They were ten feet away from the RV and at those careless words Danny planted his feet in the ground his impassive face becoming angry.

"You don't get it do you?" Danny accused pulling his hand back defiantly; Maddie looked shocked that he would be angry by this.

"Get what?" She asked not understanding.

"Exactly!" Danny said with a huff, "Mo- Maddie… when I was a ghost I could help people, I was Danny _Phantom _for a reason. I could stop ghosts, fight them, keep the people I love safe, hell I even protected the people he hated me. I'm not like the other ghosts Maddie. Turning me human was a mistake, I am… was, different from them, I…I…" Danny just shook his head not able to phrase what he wanted, "Let's just say that turning me human… you upset a delicate balance…" Danny stared at the ground.

"You've messed this up so badly I don't even know where to start to try and fix this. I understand that what you do is to protect your family, but sometimes you only do it for yourself, and I hate that… that you would put your goals in front of the big picture. You have eyes don't you? So why couldn't you see? Why can't you see?" Danny said then he climbed into the RV and sat in the front seat pouting in a way that was entirely too familiar to Maddie. Maddie tried to place where she'd seen that pout before but ended up shaking off the feeling and walking around to climb into the driver's seat of the RV.

Phantom sat, back pointedly turned away from Maddie, dressed in her son's clothes. Maddie sighted starting the RV and driving back home Phantom staring out the window wistfully. The drive back to Fenton Works had seemed like an eternity. But eventually the familiar building came into sight and Maddie pulled up to the house parking around back then letting her self and Phantom in through the back door.

"Are you hungry?" Maddie asked awkwardly as they entered the kitchen figuring he'd be hungry.

"Not really" Phantom answered; little did Maddie know he was still full of pancakes. Phantom moved through the house and sat on the couch, well more flopped onto the couch in that way teenagers have of doing. He grabbed the remote and started flipping through the channels. Maddie turned toward the basement door intending to tell her husband she had found Phantom, even though she had just about given up looking by then. If he'd been kidnapped by ghosts and taken to the ghost zone then the chances of finding him were from slim to zero. Maddie had gone to the park to walk around and clear her head only to see a curious white haired boy among the kids on the playground. At first Maddie wasn't sure if it was him; a growing number of teenaged boys and even girls had been bleaching their hair white in honor of the so-called superhero. She thought it might have been just one of Casper High's many Phantom Phans, it was only when he turned and began walking that Maddie recognized his face. It _was_ Phantom, thank god. Just as she was about to give up hope she had found him.

A yapping noise from the living room pulled Maddie out of her thoughts and distracted her from the basement door behind which the noises of her husband could be heard.

"Hey Cujo." Danny said. Maddie smiled, so Danny had come home, she would have a talk with him later about not calling and skipping school but right then she just wanted to make sure he was ok. Whether she admitted it or not Phantom's words about not knowing her son had gotten to her.

However, upon entering the living room she saw no signs of her son with his familiar black hair and crystalline blue eyes, nor had she heard him go upstairs, and once she thought about it, she hadn't even heard him come inside. Cujo; however, was very contentedly warming up to Phantom, his stark white hair even without its slivery glow was still unnatural and a bit unnerving, her hand nearly jumped to the ecto-gun in her holster. His human eyes were sparkling with interest as he smiled down at the dog that had taken residence beside him on the couch. Frowning Maddie wondered if she was mishearing things or if she was just tired when it struck here that Phantom was the one who had called the dog's name.

Then a sudden thought made her freeze, Phantom shouldn't know that dog's name. How did he know that her son, her Danny, had named the dog Cujo? How could he know? Maddie stepped back and gripped the doorframe looking at Phantom who was just sitting there flipping through channels in a way that was so familiar yet so alien. But it was a human action, a very distinctly human action in his boredom and the way he scanned the little blue bars while he pressed the buttons in an agitated way.

Another thought distracted Maddie from the strangeness of the former ghost boy knowing the dog's name. Many times during her theorizing Maddie had come to the conclusion that most ghost would have a bit of trouble adjusting to becoming alive again. The things they knew in life, when they were alive, had changed and ghosts lacked the ability to adapt. Many things she even knew as a kid had vanished and there were things, shows and games that her children had no idea about. Recently Danny and Jazz had been more tech savvy than she was. Things like iPods, iPhones, razor this, high tech that. As far as phones went Maddie preferred simpler things. She remembered the nightmare it was when her two kids had convinced her to get a "smart" phone. The blasted thing wouldn't spell out ectogun to save her life. She spent quite a few days getting over the embarrassment it was when she… Maddie shivered. She was sure that Danny wouldn't let her live that down in a million years.

Then it struck her that Phantom really hadn't died that long ago, most of the technology that an older ghost could have been baffled by was something he'd probably seen before he died.

Putting this out of her mind she proceeded to fix pancakes with bacon and eggs with bacon on the side. The pancakes were blue for some odd reason but that didn't bother her, she'd eaten stranger foods. For all she knew Danny had slipped food coloring into the flour or the milk and she hadn't noticed. She hoped her son would get home soon, though she knew she'd have to wait till at least 6:00 if Danny was going to uphold to his usual schedule. She hated it when he stayed over at a friend's house and didn't call to let her know where he was.

Suddenly the phone rang, it was a sharp sound making Maddie jump, the pancakes she had been stacking on her plate wobbled and she picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Maddie asked jumpy, because no one really called the house phone unless they were looking for Danny or Jazz.

"Hello. We'd ask you to take time out of your do to answer a few questions about-" Maddie hung up the phone. It was just a political survey probably calling for the next election. She was getting to jumpy. Probably on edge because of the ghost boy… former ghost boy, sitting in the living room, she glanced toward then lifting room then set the plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon down on the table retrieving another plate from the stove top and setting it down on the table.

She called to her husband that breakfast was ready a giant plate of waffles in his spot. Jack Fenton clamored up the steps with all the grace of a bull and immediately began eating the pancakes. Maddie poked her head into the living room once more to check on Phantom.

"Are you sure you don't want something to eat?" Maddie asked, "I could just make you some toast." Maddie suggested. Phantom made a face.

"No thanks, I hate toast anyway." Phantom responded. Jack looked up from his pancakes.

"Is Danny home?" Jack asked with a mouth full of pancakes. Maddie held her finger up signaling Jack to wait.

"Ok but if you need anything just let me know." Maddie said kindly. Phantom nodded but didn't look her way; he was watching some violent movie about corrupt government, one that was very popular with Danny. Phantom had one hand on the puppy, Cujo, as he watched the screen intently. Maddie made her way back into the kitchen and sat down with her husband.

"That was Phantom. Danny is probably at school by now since he stayed over with one of his friends again without telling me." Maddie said voicing her anger with the boy, and then she started to eat her pancakes.

"Huh…" Jack said swallowing, "Kind a funny how Phantom and Danny both don't like toast." He commented before stuffing his mouth full of more pancakes. This got Maddie to look up staring at Jack a moment before the phone rang. Maddie hurried to get it all thoughts on the similarities between her son and Phantom in the living room forgotten in the hurry to answer the shrilly ringing device on hanging on the wall.

* * *

><p>Danny woke up on the couch having fallen asleep on the movie that was playing after V for Vendetta one of his favorites. The one after it was some high risk mission with chases and explosions where there was never a moment of silence. In fact it was the silence that had woken him, the continuous noise of the movie like listening to a river flowing it had lulled him to sleep. His mom had always wondered how he had ever managed to fall asleep during movies like that. Danny rubbed his eyes, Cujo was breathing softly curled up next to him on the couch. The movie didn't really have much of a plot anyway, just a whole bunch of screaming and running and… Danny looked up at the movie playing now, something with bees and honey and civil rights. Danny yawned shutting off the TV jostling Cujo awake who yipped up at Danny happily. Danny looked down at the dog wondering if it was Ghost Dog Cujo and he'd been brought back to life like Danny had.<p>

Back to life… Danny groaned loudly causing Maddie to come in from where she was working on some strange new device and look at him.

"Are you ok? Are you feeling sick? Or are you hurt somewhere?" Maddie worried afraid he'd destabilize back into ectoplasm. In retrospect, Maddie thought, it would have probably been best to try out the humanizer a few more times and monitor the results. She had just been too excited, too ready for it to work; she was scared that Phantom was going to melt in front of her. Seeing Phantoms are-you-kidding-me expression she decided he wasn't quite ready to melt. With a sigh of relief she studied the Phantom's face.

"Take a picture it'll last longer." Phantom remarked crudely. Maddie was going to admonish him for his tone with it occurred to her that would probably be a great idea.

"Wait there." She said going downstairs and searching for the camera she used to take pictures of experiments. Phantom's voice drifted down the stairs behind her.

"I was only kidding!" He yelled sounding exasperated. Maddie found the camera though and was trudging back up the stairs looking for the former hero turning it on and looking up at his childish face. Maddie drew a breath in. It struck her again that he was just a child, a kid, no older than her son at least. His habits were that of a teenager too. Maddie choked a bit a bit saddened by the fact that he died so young, yet no one missed him, no one loved him; no one paid attention to his death. Her breath hitched again as she realized his actual body must be somewhere, sure he was human again, but it wasn't the body he had when he was alive the first time was it?

"Do I really look that bad?" Phantom teased trying to force a smile but feeling uneasy around Maddie who was staring at him like an orphan… Danny realized the irony of this. He was an orphan now, and orphan in his own home. He scoffed a little at himself as Maddie cleared her face of emotion.

"I need to take some pictures, we're sending them to different people, I don't need to get into the details but basically we're showing what good this invention could bring to the world." Maddie said pasting on a Politian's smile. Danny blinked.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." He said waving his hand in a dismissive manor. Maddie held the camera up and Phantom stuck out his tongue making faces. Maddie took the camera back down her hand moving to her hips.

"This is serious." Maddie scolded giving Phantom **_the look_**_._ Phantom rolled his eyes.

"So was my afterlife but you really didn't care about that did you?" Phantom asked. Maddie gritted her teeth, just when she was starting to see him a human he always did something that reminded her that he had been a ghost. His snarky attitude from his time as a ghost transferred to his new life as a human. Taking a breath she pinched the bridge of her nose like she had done many times when Danny had started taking an attitude with her.

"Look Danny, just let me take the picture and we can be done with this." Maddie said. She heard no answer and was looking away from Phantom at the time not wanting to see his FU expression. When she looked up she saw him staring at her like she had grown another head and the extra head was about to bite his off. Realizing what she said Maddie blushed furiously getting mad at herself.

"Phantom just let me take the picture." Maddie almost yelled snapping a few with her camera. Phantom was too far in shock to mess it up, though the oh-shit look on his face didn't really help matters. Maddie resolved to take a few candid shots later when he wasn't looking. Phantom slowly began to reach his senses again but was still shocked by Maddie calling him _Danny_.

_She called me Danny, does she know? No she can't know otherwise she'd have already tried to fix things wouldn't she? What if she doesn't know how to fix things? Oh god. Even I have no idea how this is going to work out. Shit! What if she finds out? She'll be with me all the time and I've been pretty careless. Sure part of it's because I'm pissed but aw crud, crud, crud, crud…_

Snapping out of it Danny rubbed the back of his neck the quick put his hand down wondering if his mom had recognized the action. If she had she made no motion that she had and was busy frowning at the camera as if trying to figure out some puzzle. Danny panicked hoping she wasn't thinking about how much he looked like Fenton. Though if he told her she might be able to help… but he didn't want to tell her just yet, he wasn't ready. Just about the time Danny's mind was about to go into overdrive as Maddie looked back up at him his stomach saved him by letting out an enormous growl. Danny's hand instantly went to his stomach covering it up as if that would muffle the discontented noises it was making.

"Well… it is about lunch time…" Maddie frowned Jack was supposed to be back with the Mexican food already. While Phantom slept they had dropped a vial of ectoplasm that had been cooling in the fridge and all the food in there was inedible. That and she'd been so preoccupied with her invention that she'd forgotten to buy more food, especially with Danny and his friends coming over to eat so much of it.

"Hey Mads I'm home." Jack bustled in with armfuls of groceries. Maddie put on a tight smile that Phantoms seemed to notice but not her clueless husband who handed her several take out boxes and continued to the kitchen to drop them off at the table. But not before giving his wife a peck on the cheek Phantom cringing away like Danny had done many times.

"Well then let's eat." Maddie said looking over at Phantom who hesitated a moment before going in to sit at the table.

Boxes were passed around and Phantom got Danny's usual meal. He spent the first few minutes picking at the Chile Reno before Jack tried to strike up a conversation with him.

"So… Phantom, how did it feel to be an evil ghost?" Jack asked. Maddie mentally face palmed as Phantom's head whipped up to stared at Jack with a mixture of anger and plain confusion… and something else Maddie couldn't quite place.

"I wasn't evil." Phantom said making sure each word was clear. Jack gave out a boisterous laugh.

"Sure you were, all ghosts are evil, or are you meaning to tell me you don't remember the things you did when you were a ghost." Jack asked eyes full of humor like the whole thing was a joke. The shocked and somewhat hurt look that flickered through Phantom's eyes showed that he did remember, very well it seemed, but that look was replaced by one of determination.

"I do. But there were circumstances." Phantom said jaw set.

"Circumstances to being evil?" Jack asked giving another short laugh. Maddie put her hand on her husband's forearm.

"Yes." Phantom said through gritted teeth. His face was getting hot and his fists hand clenched under the table. He'd never really had to talk to his father about his Phantom half before, he could always avoid it, say he was busy, going to the library, the arcade, to Sam's or Tucker's… but now… he was trapped.

"So you have circumstances." Jack said genuinely curious but Danny could only hear the laugh in his voice like he was mocking him. He didn't want to be seen as evil; Danny hated it.

"I was framed." Danny insisted, "and the circus one I was being controlled by Freakshow." Danny said surprised by how level his voice sounded while his insides were shaking with anger.

"Of course." Jack seemed to breathe.

"Jack." Maddie gave as a warning but Danny had stood up fists shaking eyes narrowed at his father.

"Believe me the last thing I want to be is evil! You think you've seen me evil?" Danny's voice had begun to show his anger trembling slightly his voice low and husky, harsh and sharp, "You haven't seen anything. I will never be evil I promised that a long time ago. I will NOT," Danny palms met the table with a loud crack his eyes focused into Jack's, "Be called evil! I am NOT evil! I WILL NOT BECOME HIM!" Danny glared and for a second it looked like his eyes flashed in the light the way they used to when he became angry. The acid green anger flashing through his eyes, but it was just a trick of that light.

The kitchen was deathly quiet as Danny stared down Jack daring him to call him evil once more, daring him to challenge what he said, and Danny could explain away every single "evil deed" he had done.

"Who is him?" Jack asked instead throwing Danny off. His face paled and his confidence drained away as he backed away from the table emerald eyes growing wide.

"N-no one… I-I-I…." Danny turned on his heel and headed up the stairs not caring that he probably had just raised so many more questions, he just had to be alone, to curb his anger… and his fear. Sitting on his bed Danny hung his head between his knees and took a few calming breaths trying to sort out his head.

"Who is him?" his dad had asked. So simple a question… yet I hat brought so much doubt into his life. He could see it on his parent's faces, the way they feared him as he had grown angry, and the way his mother's hand twitched toward her gun the way his father's childlike smile had fallen so quickly. Danny stretched out on the bed trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. It was far too loud suffocating him in its rhythm. The way it seemed to be a stone weight in the middle of his chest, it might as well have been Mijonir.

Danny's eyes closed against the sudden realness of the world, the fact that he was human, probably till he died, and that Danny Fenton couldn't exist anymore than Danny Phantom could. It was when the weight of the world came crashing down that Danny used to go out flying. Times when he realized he could never become an astronaut because of his bad grades and all the ghosts, times when he realized he was lucky to have even passed freshman year and was dreading this year as a sophomore, times when he realized that he was alone, that the only one who could understand the pressure, the pain, the loneliness of being a halfa was a crazed up cheese head fruitloop who was _pure_ evil. It was those times he used to go out and fly to leave all his troubles on the ground and sort out his head. Danny let his head fall to the side and looked out the window longing for the sky, the breeze, the freedom of flight.

"Goin' ghost." He mouthed silently but nothing happened. There was no flash of light, no magic, no nothing. It was then that Danny let the tears he'd been holding for the past day and a half to fall. And when they fell, they fell hard.


	7. Missing in Action

Phantom stood in Danny's room leaning against the window staring out at the sky. He was wearing Danny's clothes and listening to Danny's music from Danny's i-pod plugged into Danny's dock. Maddie watched him silently from the door, Phantom too caught up in his own thoughts to notice her. Or perhaps he just pretended she wasn't there in order for him to feel alone with his thoughts.

Maddie wondered what those thoughts were; she tried to discern what the small frown on his face meant and what those vacant longing eyes were looking for. She tried to figure out what the slight tapping of his right forefinger signified and what that deep sad sigh meant. But she couldn't figure him out. Everything she thought he'd be happy to return to life. Especially with his hero complex, he wouldn't want to be an evil ghost. But… he didn't look happy. He didn't look happy at all. More sad than happy, angry too.

After the spectacle at the table Maddie was hoping that she could talk to him try to get to know him but he was strange. Very strange. His eyes, those deep emerald eyes that looked toward the sky, they were hollow, empty. He had not life in him even though he'd come back from the dead. It seemed only bitter emotions were left over. Phantom issued another sigh eyes turning from the window and fixating on her. Maddie suppressed a shiver, those were lifeless dead eyes.

"You aren't going to leave are you?" Phantom asked his face blank and lifeless. There was that word again, lifeless. How could a living, breathing, human being be so dead?

"Are you alright?" Maddie asked. She though she saw a flicker of emotion across that blank face but it was quickly quashed down.

"I'm fine." He answered atomically, "Sorry." He said his voice flat. Maddie nodded.

"Well, if you want to finish…" she trailed off Phantom looked away rubbing the back of his neck, were his eyes red? Were they puffy? Had he been crying?

"I'll be down soon." Phantom said sighing and turning back toward Maddie. Maddie nodded and left walking down the stairs a bad feeling in her stomach. She felt like she did something wrong. Something horribly wrong?

But what was wrong? Maddie shook her head. She shouldn't be feeling this way, bringing a boy back to life was a miracle. Yet something told her she was wrong, Maddie shook of the feeling and took a deep breath. Everything would be fine wouldn't it?

* * *

><p>Danny closed the door and leaned against it after his mom had left. He closed his eyes and felt the cool painted wood on his back. He ran his hands through the carpet feeling the dusty rough fibers. He stared at the ceiling looking at the familiar paint figures the familiar lines and cracks in the ceiling. There was one that almost looked like him in the portal from a certain angle and another that looked like a giraffe from another.<p>

Danny's fingers clenched into fists the creases in his palms to the scrape of his nails against the skin all right there in the forefront of his senses. How his feet in their socks felt with the strange texture of the carpet underneath them. How his pulse beat through every fiber of its being with a steady almost too fast thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Danny felt sick.

There was this horrible feeling rising up in his chest clenching at his heart twisting its way up his ventral body cavity and filling it with an empty heat.

Danny laughed. How could heat be empty? But it was.

Danny wanted to press his face into snow, to let himself be buried in it, to slow down the clamorous beating of his heart.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

His green eyes roamed the room, he breathed heavily his face flushed with fever. He just needed to get somewhere cool. To lay down in a cold bed, somewhere where he could breathe air that wasn't tainted with thick sweaty empty heat.

His breath came out in little huffs as he stood shakily fighting off delirium. The sun outside seemed too bright the room to warm. His clothes too confining and heavy. His sweaty palms grasped the doorknob clumsily as he tried to get down, down to the cold.

Danny leaned against the banister stumbling down the stairs where his mother looked up surprised. Danny's feverish deep green eyes rolled sickly upward to behold her visage as he then stumbled and tripped his face hitting the ground the warm rough carpet on his face.

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

Eyes clouded as Danny lay there he didn't perceive his mother rushing toward him or her calling to her husband alarmed, he just remembered the heat. Then wondering if he would ever feel that Cold again.

* * *

><p>"Where's Danny? He should be home by now!" floated into Danny's field of awareness. Groggy and feeling a bit nauseous Danny tried to sit up to tell his mom he was right there. A cold, or rather formerly cold, washcloth fell from his face as he propped himself up on his elbows and stared at his mother who glanced over at him briefly her gaze flickering away before returning.<p>

"Oh, Phantom." Maddie said concerned, "How are you feeling?" she asked. Danny's eyebrows knit together perplexed as to why she was calling him Phantom and ready to dodge the hell that was sure to be raised. Then it hit him. He was Phantom and Phantom was now human. Danny groaned and rolled over hoping to erase the nightmare from his mind. Maddie came over feeling his forehead as Danny lay there upset.

"Well your fever has gone down and you don't look as flushed." Maddie said. Danny looked up at her trying to figure out if she was serious. He hadn't gotten sick since the time when he first fought Desiree; even then he suspected his parents just might have been right about it being a ghost virus. Then he was again reminded that he was human now. Had a year of ghost fighting finally caught up with him? Danny sat up.

"I'm fine now, I think I… I think I was just a bit upset and still not used to you know being alive again…" Danny rambled rubbing the back of his neck. Maddie nodded but stared at him strangely.

"Well I can't exactly leave you alone… and it probably wouldn't be for the best to leave you with Jack… so would you mind coming with me to look for Danny. Both his friends and the school said he wasn't at school today. When I find that boy I'm going to give him a piece of my mind." Maddie said vowing her motherly wrath. Danny looked away.

"Yeah… I guess." He said. Maddie stared at him. Was he still feeling sick? He looked back up and something in his eyes moved her but just as she was about to reach out to him and ask what was wrong he stood up and walked over to where he had discarded Danny's shoes and put them on. Maddie sighed heavily then followed him out the door. Sam and Tucker were walking by. Phantom froze. Sam and Tucker froze.

"Uh…" Phantom rubbed the back of his neck nervously something she'd seen Danny do plenty of times.

"So…" Tucker said looking around then his eyes resting on her, on Maddie. Sam stared at Phantom and Phantom back at her as if they were having their own silent conversation then they abruptly looked away Phantom shuffling awkwardly. Sam with a slight blush to her cheeks, Tucker stared at them and opened his mouth words coming to the tip of his tongue as it poised ready to strike, but then glancing at Maddie he swallowed those words.

"Um… Mrs. Fenton?" Sam asked finally kind of breaking the tension.

"Yes?" Maddie asked expecting questions from anyone who saw her with Phantom.

"Who is this?" Sam asked but the words seemed a little off. Phantom kind of shuffled looking around nervously then rubbing the back of his neck.

"This is Phantom. Danny Phantom." Maddie explained proudly, "I'll explain the specifics later once I find Danny then you three can all talk to him." Maddie said. Sam and Tucker exchanged looks then looked over at Phantom who was making some sort of signal but stopped once Maddie looked over at him rubbing the back of his neck yet again.

"Uh… sure, that sounds great." Sam said while Tucker seemed to be nursing a new wound to his arm, Sam grabbed Tucker's arm and started to drag him off then she paused looking back. "And Mrs. Fenton… when you see Danny… tell him…" a heat rose to her cheeks, "that we're really worried about you, so you better take care of yourself no matter what happens!" Sam stared right at Phantom though as she said this and Phantom nodded. Maddie stared at Sam pretending she hadn't noticed the whole exchange as she contemplated what it could mean.

"I will." Maddie promised.

Sam turned away and Phantom sighed hanging his head and examining the ground around his feet. Maddie stared at him. Then she turned toward the RV and let Phantom in before going around to the driver's side and opening it sliding into the seat then looking over at Phantom as she closed the door.

Phantom had a small crease above his brow as he thought, his fingers picking at the fibers of Danny's ripped jeans. He looked sad. Maddie watched as his large oversized hands move, fingers moving across the fibers slowly rhythmically pick, pick, pick, picking. The pants already had evidence of Danny's fingers, before Phantoms, probing and pulling the cotton fibers from the pants. Then Phantom turned to her his deep green emerald eyes asking her something, an inquiry in the gem like depths. Maddie waited wanting to know this question. His face was familiar, his eyes blinked twice as he stared lips parting.

"Are you just going to sit there and stare or do you want me to run through hoops or a maze or something." Phantom asked. Maddie blinked, of course, he was wondering why she hadn't started the RV. Maddie's fingers kissed the keys then she hesitated wondering if Phantom was ready to go out into public yet. Maddie looked over at the white haired child sitting next to her who was staring at her with a "well?" expression. She decided he'd be fine and she started up the RV.

The low rumble of the engine seemed to ease Phantom a bit and he watched as they eased out of the driveway and onto the road his eyes taking in the scenery as it passed somewhat bored as he slouched into the seat.

"Do you have a favorite color?" Maddie asked. Phantom jumped a little.

"Uh… I thought I was just your science project? Right? You don't have to know things about me like that." Phantom remarked nervous.

"Just making conversation." Maddie said defensive. She didn't want to treat Phantom as just another experiment now that he was human but… well she wanted to know more about her subject.

"Oh." Phantom remarked shuffling awkwardly in his seat. He looked around then back at Maddie his breathing starting to pick up in pace. The light in turned red and Maddie stopped the RV grateful for the interruption to her driving.

"Are you ok?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah fine, I was just thinking of telling you something because I probably should have told you a long time ago... but at the same time I really was scared to tell you… but then I realized it was a stupid thing to do because you probably wouldn't believe me anyway and… really I have no evidence to back it up except my word and you'd probably rationalize that all way anyway but… what if you did believe me what would we do then I meant it's not like I can fix this or you can its… all just so… messed up and I was thinking telling you might help… but then I kind of still don't want to tell you at the same time but… I see no reason not to in the situation I'm in… but I really still can't prove anything and…" the loud blare of a honking horn interrupted Phantom. He jumped so abruptly he nearly hit his head on one of the many buttons place around the RV.

Maddie, and Phantom, had been so caught up in what Phantom had been saying that Maddie hadn't even noticed that the light had turned green. Phantom sank into silence as Maddie drove through the intersection quickly trying to avoid upsetting anyone else that day.

Phantom seemed to be trying to calm down; he was practically going into hysterics as he was talking to Maddie. She wondered what could make him so upset and thought back on his words. Something he should have told her a long time ago… something he was scared to tell her? But what could I possibly be?

Most of the trip was spent in silence a couple awkward attempts to start conversation littered throughout the drive. It was when the street lamps came on and the sun went down that Phantom eventually fell asleep to the rhythmic roar of the engine and the sound of the tires moving along the pavement.

Maddie sighed Phantom's stomach growled in his sleep and he shifted uncomfortably before falling back into that lull. Maddie realized her own stomach was giving protests as well and decided that she should probably head home. She could ignore her body's wants for food, but Phantom… she'd almost forgotten that he wasn't a ghost and had to eat. He still had the same flippant air, and he was as human as he'd seemed on the roof when she shot him reminiscing about his life as a human. But Phantom seeming human and being human were two completely different things. Maddie turned the corner and began the drive back to Fenton works the street lamps illuminating the face of Phantom every so often.

He gave out a slight snore and seemed to relax even more his cheek scrapping along the window as he slid down. The noise of his cheek was a subtle squeak like a trapped mouse as the boy slept.

The rumbling sound of the tires on the pavement, the constant sound of the engine, the reoccurring illuminations of light from the street lamps, the soft snores from the boy to her right. It was almost hypnotic, soothing, reassuring.

The sign from Fenton Works came into view and Maddie pulled into the drive way of the house and tried to shake Danny awake.

"Mmmmm…." Was all that came from his mouth as he tried to curl up further into the window.

"Wake up." Maddie said giving a gentle shake. Phantom closed his eyes and wrinkled his nose in distaste to those words then fell back into a relaxed state. Maddie smiled remembering Danny when he fell asleep on long road trips, remembering when he was younger and Maddie would pick him up out of his car seat while he slept, how he would snuggle into her chest comfortably as she carried him in.

"Wake up Danny." Maddie said attempting to wake the teen up once more.

"Mmoooommm…" Danny groaned, "noooooo schoollllll… mm…." Phantom replied. Maddie froze as Phantom looked over half asleep and stared over at Maddie. For a second in the dark she thought she saw her own Danny, sleepy and tired and somewhat sick. Even his voice had matched Danny's tones to a T.

"Phantom wake up." Maddie corrected. Phantom instantly shook himself awake the same confused look flickering across his face for a moment before he sobered up and blinked.

"Oh…" Phantom said, "We're h- back?" He said opening the door and climbing out of the vehicle. Maddie shook of the strange sense of déjà vu that had been associated with Phantom and her son then climbed out behind him he was about to go upstairs when Jazz intercepted him and took him to her room. Phantom going willingly though looking a bit annoyed. Maddie smiled a bit thinking Phantom was in for one hell of a psychoanalysis from Jasmine.

Going to the fridge Maddie pulled out the food Phantom had abandoned and a couple other left overs making some plates up for the four of them. Maddie was getting worried about Danny and she put her finger to her lips wondering where he could be, if something had gone wrong on the way to school, or if someone had maybe kidnapped him. Perhaps that's why the phone call she got for a political survey had scared her so much. Every time Danny seemed to go missing she was afraid he'd pop up in a body bag or that he'd end up in the back of some white van. Maddie tried to laugh at this image. Danny would never be so dumb to get into a van with strangers for the promise of a bike or candy, he was smarter than that, even when he was younger.

However… if his enemy hadn't used bribes but had fought Danny, knocked him out and dragged him away… Danny wouldn't stand a chance. There were often times when Maddie thought that maybe she should teach him some karate, after all she could be qualified to teach as a Master. The time just never seemed right, and Danny seemed happy as he was with his friends. It was impossible to believe anything bad would ever happen to him. The microwave dinged and Maddie plated out some of the food putting Phantom's on his plate and placing it on the table. She then served a bigger plate of some leftover steak and potatoes to Jack and a smaller one for Jazz. She herself to some of her leftovers from lunch and served them up placing them on the table followed by forks and napkins. Then she placed the usual drinks around the table, chocolate milk for Jack and Phantom, a bottle of sparkling water for Jazz, and just whatever Maddie felt like drinking which tonight happened to be a tall wine glass of Apothica Red.

Satisfied Maddie ventured upstairs and to Jazz's room she went to knock on the door but paused curious as to what psycho-technical talk was occurring beyond the threshold of the door. Waiting by the door Maddie listened to the conversation with in.

"What do we tell her?" Jazz was asking.

"I don't know." Came Danny's… no Phantom's voice, "what can we, or rather you, tell her? I'm pretty much useless like this. And Fenton… well truthfully I have no idea where he went… I think the only way I might be able to _find_ him would be Clockwork or Frostbite. God I wish Clockwork would have warned me!" Phantom said frustrated.

"Well ghost master of time must have a reason." Jazz said trying to cheer Phantom up. Maddie frowned, how did she know the ghost that Phantom spoke of.

"I don't know… the only time he's interfered with my time, besides that time I went back and dad was all half ghost and mom was married to Vlad." He stopped here and inserted an "eww" before continuing, "Was when my evil future self was going to take over… or rather had taken over the future, and to save you guys when you were about to be splattered sky high by condiments." Phantom said.

"Gross Danny." Jazz said and for a moment Maddie wasn't sure who was in there, her Danny or Phantom Danny.

"Yeah well, I guess it's that old cliché, you live long enough to see yourself turn evil, or you die a hero." Phantom sighed, "My hero life is over, ironically it's because I'm alive."

"Don't worry we'll figure this out." Jazz said.

"Yeah that's what Sa-" Phantom broke off causing Maddie to jerk away from the door and for Jazz to open it. Being a couple paces away from the door by now, having back pedaled embarrassed to be caught eavesdropping on them, Maddie put on a smile.

"I was just about to come get you it's time to eat." Maddie said with a smile. Jazz nodded.

"Ok." Jazz went down the stairs Phantom left siting awkwardly in the room.

"Uh… I guess I'll go wash my hands then." Danny said walking towards the bathroom leaving his mother in the hallway staring after him before she descended down the stairs. Danny sighed as he washed his hands avoiding the mirror and its lying truths. It lied that mirror and Danny decided that he hated it. Hated those deep green eyes that were like deep green mid-summer grasses, he hated them. They weren't his, but at the same time they were, they were his eyes in his face.

Danny wiped off his hands on the towel not wanting to think about it anymore and descended the stairs to the smell of food.

The late supper of people gathered around the table was a tired dull affair. Jack was scarfing down his food then raiding the fridge, Danny picking at his left over Mexican food and then slowly eating it Jazz analyzing the situation, Maddie analyzing Danny. Danny finished his food last sitting at the table as always beyond the time that everyone else had retired to the living room and to the dull noise of the TV. He sat there picking at the last of his food and slowly scrapping the rice onto is fork till the plate was clear. Afterward he scooped up his plate and fork and finished off the milk left in his cup placing the dishes carefully in the dishwasher before starting it then leaning against the sink hanging his head over the edge using his arms like the bottom of a rocking chair for a moment.

"Hey." Maddie came in. Danny visibly cringed expecting another awkward talk with Maddie trying to figure out what kind of life he lived before he became a ghost. Something he couldn't explain truthfully without explain halfas and the portal accident and all of the horrible cartoon like misadventures that had happened in his life. Danny stood erect leaning against the counter waiting for his mom to talk. Maddie gave a sigh and looked at him.

"I think I understand you a little bit more. You're like my Danny…" Maddie sighed remembering that Danny still hadn't come home and Danny froze knowing that he wouldn't, "You're a teenage boy, dying once and becoming a ghost and acting like a hero… then coming back to life… even so you're still a teenager, you like your privacy, you're secretive and you have your own hobbies and lifestyle. I'm just some lady to you… perhaps you really do think that I think of you like an experiment and I admit it started out that way but you… you're human… you feel, you think, you're not just an experiment. You're human and you have your different sides and your trust and doubt… so if I start trusting you… will you trust me?" Maddie asked. Danny stared at him mom for a minute then sighed.

"Sure, sounds fair." Danny replied turning away. Maddie nodded.

"Alright… I'm going to go out to look for Danny again, you should get to sleep… Jazz has a trundle." Maddie said moving out of the room. Danny sighed, of course he couldn't sleep in his own bed because his mom was thinking that he was going to be sleeping in it. Danny made his way upstairs carefully getting dressed in the pajamas Maddie had left out for him then making his way over to Jazz's room who was reading a book on the bed the trundle mattress pulled out and prepared for him.

"Just like old times?" Jazz whispered with a sad smile.

"Yeah." Danny smiled a little as well then laid down on the bed, "goodnight."

"Goodnight Danny." Jazz smiled nudging him with her foot. Danny didn't even protest because after a whole day of being called Phantom by his mother… being called Danny was nice.


	8. Decision

Danny woke up to big slobbery kisses all over his face. Blinking blurry eyed into the brown eyes of a small dog Danny tried to make sense of his surroundings.

"Oh, Cujo…" Danny wiped his face with the edge of his sleep before looking around at the neat organized stacks of books, the pile of paper placed neatly on the desk and the photos framed exactly parallel with the walls and ceiling. Danny rubbed his head.

"Why am I in Jazz's room?" he wondered taking the enthusiastic puppy into his arms and standing up. He swayed a little before setting down the hall and going into his own room. His mom was on the bed speaking into a phone in an urgent voice.

"Well of course I looked for him! Look I called you people yesterday night and told you all of this! Do you really think I would purposefully let my son out of my sight! You have the nerve to- Oh no you did not just hang up on me!" Maddie glared at the phone and threw it on the bed spread her hands covering her face as small silent sobs shook her shoulders. Danny walked hesitantly up to her; confused he stretched out his hand to put on her shoulder but caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror above his dresser.

Hesitant and scared green eyes looked back at him, his white hair was a mess from being in bed so long. Danny drew his and back hastily and looked at his mom.

"M-maddie?" Danny asked. Maddie looked up and quickly wiped tears from her eyes.

"Oh, Phantom, I'm sorry I didn't see you there." She said as she stood up and pasted on a smile, "I guess you'll be hungry, you slept like a log last night and Jazz said she couldn't even wake you up when she went to school." Maddie walked out of the room Danny following behind, "I suppose it's time for breakfast then." Maddie smiled walking down the stairs and into the kitchen Danny still holding Cujo and following behind.

"Let's see…" Maddie said opening the fridge door, "how about a-" a large tentacle came out of the fridge and tried to wrap itself around Maddie's head, but suddenly Maddie was holding a gun and casually blew it up while not taking her eyes of the contents of the fridge. Smile still in place Maddie closed the fridge and turned to Danny.

"What do you say we go out to eat?" she beamed. Danny blinked then looked back to the fridge.

"That sounds like a plan." He said, "Um… I'll need to get dressed."

* * *

><p>Phantom sat in the front seat of the RV once more; he fiddled nervously with his jeans while casting nervous glances over towards Maddie. Maddie sighed trying to figure out where would be the best place to go without Phantom getting too much attention while still getting enough to eat. In the end she decided on Nasty Burger and they sat idling in line while Phantom gave her the silent treatment. As the moved up in line Phantom decided now would be an ok time to strike up a conversation.<p>

"Sooooo…" he started not making eye contact but instead seeming to be highly interested in the Nasty Nat Menu ahead, "I was wondering… well… what you were planning on doing with me?" Phantom said hesitantly. Maddie blinked. She hadn't quite thought about that.

"Well… I suppose you were still in school when you died." Maddie said, Phantom winced and Maddie took that as a yes, "so as soon and we figure out all the specifics or get you settled with a host family I suppose you'll be going back. You'll probably have to take a placement test." Maddie glanced over at Phantom as she pulled up; he looked half horrified half relieved.

"Wait I'm _not_ going to be staying with you?" He said. Maddie put on a smile.

"Well of course not, we have kids of our own." She smiled. Phantom gulped.

"Well… then who… might I be staying with?" he asked.

"Well… I don't know. We do have an old collage pal who's always wanted a son." Maddie thought aloud then glanced over at Phantom who looked like he's rather be torn apart molecule by molecule.

"I'd rather be torn apart molecule by molecule!" Phantom blurted out. Maddie's eyebrows crunched. _Funny…_ she thought before sighing.

"Well, I never said anything was set in stone, something like this has never happened before."

"Yeah, thank god." Phantom mumbled discontentedly. Maddie sighed.

"Look, I know this isn't easy for either of us, but we have to try." Maddie tried throwing an encouraging smile over, "Let just try to be friends for now."

"Sure, I'll be best friends with the person who's always shooting at me and talking about dissecting my ectoplasmic remains." Phantom said darkly setting his head on his hands and glaring out the window. He glanced over at Maddie and saw something on her face that made him look ashamed.

"Sorry." Phantom said looking down ashamed, "I… I can try." They pulled up to the window and a hand held out their order. Maddie took it and paid for the food checking over to make sure they got everything before driving off. The car was silent then Phantom looked over.

"Did you find him?" He said; the words came out awkwardly, forced and foreign in Phantom's mouth. Maddie looked over.

"No." Maddie sighed. The paper bag crinkled as Phantom shifted positions while holding the food.

"Have you tried the cops?" He asked hesitantly. Maddie swallowed back some anger.

"Yes, but they won't do anything… in fact…" Maddie glanced over at Phantom before turning the corner; "I'm actually headed down to the police station right now." Maddie said. Phantom nodded.

"Mo-Maddie…" Phantom said, "It's blue…" He said blushing slightly and looking out the window.

"What?" Maddie asked looking over at Phantom curiously.

"You asked me what my favorite color was before… it's… well its blue." Phantom said. Maddie felt a smile come to her face and her heart gave a quick squeeze.

"You know what… mine is to." Maddie said with a chuckle.

"Like I couldn't tell." Phantom teased, "Let me guess, Da- uh… Jack's is orange and he has a thing for fudge?" He smiled as if he already knew the answer. Maddie gave a small chuckle.

"I guess that much is obvious." She answered as she pulled up in front of the police station, "Now just stay in here and help yourself to the food while I fill out a missing persons report." The mood suddenly died. Maddie choked on a small sob that had escaped her perfectly constructed mask and Phantom looked as if his dog had been shot, if he had a dog.

"Ok." Said Phantom reaching into the bag as Maddie shut the door and walked into the station.

Danny sat staring after his mom. As she walked into the station Danny folded his arms and leaned back in his seat debating whether or not to tell her that he _was_ her son. Sighing he smacked himself across the face.

"Get a grip." He told himself firmly as he settled in for a long wait.

* * *

><p><em>A disgruntled teen in white hair shimmered in the mirror like clock face before the teen's head slammed onto the desk with exasperation, the scene shifted and a boy covered in mud was walking along the side walk, it shifted again, there was a large amount of green ectoplasm dripping from what looked like a hand, once more the scene shifted and a headstone came into view. "Here lies Danny Phantom." It read.<em>

_"His fate is sealed."_


	9. Shopping?

Danny yawned stretching then pulling the covers off and shuffling his way to the bathroom.

One and a half weeks.

One and a half weeks and he was still stuck. Danny rubbed his eyes as he splashed water on his face staring into the mirror at those strangely dark green eyes. Shaking the excess water from his hair he continued about his business in the bathroom before emerging to find Maddie walking down the hall with a vast amount of paperwork in her arms.

"Here, let me help." Danny insisted taking the top stack of papers from her grip. Maddie nodded thankfully.

"Just a last minute bit of paperwork to take care of. Adoption. School forms, a couple letters about our work." Maddie prattled off absentmindedly. Danny nodded not really listening.

"Sound highly dull." He commented as he followed his mother downstairs.

"Oh, it is, but it has to be done you know. I'm really not sure where to start with most of this. Everything is so new and circumstantial." Maddie said turning on her heel as she reached the bottom of the stairs and walking briskly through the living room into the kitchen. Danny followed depositing his paper stack next to Maddie's on the table.

Maddie sighed then smiled over at Danny.

"Thank you. You've been so helpful over the past week." Maddie patted Danny's arm. Danny gave her a small smile back.

Maddie then sighed heavily forcing down tears. "Well… I better get started on this. We have that thing to go to this afternoon." Maddie said. Danny nodded biting his lip.

"Are you sure we have to do this." Danny said looking nervously around as if for an escape. Maddie nodded looking into Danny's face.

"You know perfectly well that this has to be done. We can't just keep you holed up in the house forever. Plus people are growing curious as well; rumors are spreading, and well… It's about time the world knew." Maddie said. Danny rubbed his face as if that could wake him from this nightmare.

"Alright… I'll just… go get dressed…" Danny said. Maddie nodded as she shifted though the papers.

Danny trudged upstairs opening the door to his room with a sigh, Jack came down the hall.

"Whoa there." Jack said grabbing Danny by the shoulder, "Whatcha doing in Danny's room?" He said kindly, but the suspicion was still in his eyes.

"Sorry… I… well I need clothes… and M-Maddie hasn't taken me shopping yet so she's been letting me… well borrow some of… well some of your son's clothes." Danny said. Jack nodded.

"Oh… right." Jack cast a defeated glance into Danny's room. Danny stretched out his hand trying to comfort the vast man. Then he caught his refection in the doorknob. The white hair that graced his head was foreign to this human form. Danny retracted his hand for a moment then gently rested it on Jack's shoulder.

"Jack… I'm… I'm sorry you haven't found your son. I… I wish I could help… I…" Jack cut Danny of with a glare.

"That's e'nuff Phantom. Grab some clothes and get in the shower." Jack shrugged off Danny's hand going downstairs. Danny clenched his jaw angrily but bit back his sassy retort going into his room and grabbing some clothes. He then slammed the door as he left, the bathroom door following in suite as he threw the clothes on the ground.

Once again Danny was faced with his reflection and all that was wrong in the world. He felt the overwhelming urge to punch something, to release all the anger that had built up in his stomach to the point he was sick. If he could just punch that face in the mirror maybe it would shatter and he'd see his own face. Maybe everything would finally be ok. Danny stared at the face in the mirror, glaring harder and harder as if trying to change that image.

"Change back." He hissed at his reflection through clenched teeth, "change back." He said a little bit louder. Yet his reflection refused to shift, refused to give way to black hair and blue eyes, it didn't waver, it didn't for a moment stutter as it stared back at him with concrete truth. It refused to respond to Danny's mental signals and intense glare. Nothing, absolutely nothing happened.

Danny raised his fist at the mirror ready to drive it into the smooth reflective surface that was so stubborn. Yet he slowed halfway and touched the mirror surprised to see angry tears in his eyes. The anger had passed leaving him feeling empty and confused. He leaned his head against the cold surface, a double reflection of his own white hair over his eyes.

"Change back." He said, his voice cracking slightly. "Change back." He whispered. But he did not.

Danny took a deep breath then proceeded to get into the shower.

* * *

><p>Maddie set a plate of food in front of Phantom has he sat down at the table in Danny's clothes. She had taken him out on small errands in the past week but he never seemed interested in leaving the RV. It was probably just as well as it would have been rather hard to explain what he was doing and why he was human, but that would all change after the press conference to day.<p>

With a deep sigh Maddie ruffled Phantom's hair.

"I'm going to drop off and turn in some things. Do you want to tag along. I can buy you some of your own clothes." She suggested. Phantom looked up.

"Yeah… that sounds good… how soon are we leaving." He asked a piece of egg stuck to his lip.

"With in the next half hour, I hope, that is if nothing unexpected happens." Maddie sighed remembering and incident when a vast quantity of ghost weenies had escaped the fridge and it took the next hour to get them all back into the specialized drawer she and Jack designed for them. Phantom sighed as if he too remembered this event, he might have witnessed it. During the past week Phantom admitted to using the Fenton Portal to put ghosts back in the ghost zone.

"Finish up your eggs and I'll load up the RV." Maddie smiled grabbing some papers and a large briefcase. Phantom nodded and continued to shovel eggs into his mouth while Jack lumbered into the kitchen dragging various ghost devices. Phantom looked up from his eggs and Maddie had to contain a chuckle at the look of horror on his face when he realized he'd be subject to another one of Jack's rants.

Maddie proceeded to shove her things in the RV not surprised to see Phantom running out of the house seconds later pulling Danny's jacket on and pulling up the hood. He jogged up to Maddie.

"Um… can we leave now?" He asked curiously glancing nervously over his shoulder. Maddie smiled to herself.

"Alright." She agreed starting the RV and Phantom ran to the other side of it pulling the door open and climbing in. Maddie pulled into the mall parking lot Phantom nervously picked at Danny's pants and at the drawstrings of the hooded jacket.

"You ready?" Maddie asked. Phantom looked at her and nodded.

"I mean… I kinda have to be." He said. Maddie nodded back and both of them climbed out of the RV in synch.

"Lets just get some basics to begin with." Maddie said.

"Well… I think that's probably the best… but I don't think I'm going to be able to come here again without… you know… massive swarms of people following me." Phantom said, "At least now… well they don't have a concrete idea of who I am." He said. Maddie paused nodding.

"You have a point." She responded, "Anyway, I need to buy you a suit for the press conference."

"Press conference?" Phantom said. Maddie nodded.

"We talked about this remember?"

"Right… Sorry… I… kinda space out a lot." Phantom blushed. Maddie refrained from rolling her eyes as they walked into the mall. Phantom seemed agitated, nervous, for that matter Maddie was as well. She walked briskly to "Spirit Suits" since ghosts had become a tourist attraction many small businesses had changed their names to reflect the paranormal.

"Really?" Phantom said frowning.

"Well it's not as bad as invisobill." Maddie said with a chuckle. Phantom turned bright red. Maddie had found that Phantom, being a teen, was still easily embarrassed by stupid nicknames. He wandered into the store grumbling about needing a press agent and his name being Danny _Phantom_ and something about rhymes and stupid truckers.

Maddie followed the former ghost into the shop. He went straight to the discount rack, a fact that made Maddie extremely grateful.

Maddie pulled out a lime green suit holding it up with a playful smile.

"Uh… over my dead body." Phantom answered in standard teenage snark, he continued rummaging through the black suits. Maddie put the lime green suit back into place flipping though them. There were sequined suits if you can believe that. Maddie smiled thinking of Phantom dressed in this suit and as the image solidified a chuckle escaped her lips.

"What?"

"Nothing." Maddie replied looking up. Phantom's deep green eyes were on her, confusion on his brow, but a slight amused smile on his lips. Maddie pulled out a white suit. The material was soft, she could tell that much through her gloves. She glanced up at Phantom's snow-white hair then down at the suit.

"Hey… how about this?" she asked. Phantom's green eyes surveyed the suit.

"No… I'll look like the guys in white." He said simply then continued combing the racks.

"Oh." Maddie said softly putting the suit back, she hadn't even thought of that and looking at it now should couldn't help but think of those bureaucratic morons.

"This one?" Phantom held up a simple black suit. The color was a deep black, it was an English style suit and Maddie nodded, grabbed a matching black shirt and ushered him to the dressing rooms.

Phantom disappeared into the dressing room and Maddie tapped her foot looking at ties and cravats and tiepins while the sales attendant roved around.

Maddie could hear Phantom's shuffling as he tried on the suit. She fiddled with a silver tiepin in the shape of a P inside a D. A soft smile slid across her face as she picked it up. Danny Phantom charms and products had been a common occurrence once the infamous hero had defeated the Ghost King. Maddie stared down at the tiny DP her mind wandering to the tattered black suit with a matching DP in white on the chest that was lying in the basement along with other research materials.

"Ahem." Maddie turned in the direction to see Phantom standing with the suit on. It fit perfectly. Maddie smiled setting down the tiepin and clapping her hands together with a smile.

"Very nice, now turn around." Maddie insisted as she checked out the back, "Is it riding up anywhere?" she commented lifting up the back of the jacket to inspect the waist.

"No."

"Lift your arms up." Maddie ordered, Phantom did so, "Is that pulling anywhere, that feels fine? Not too short on the wrists then?"

"No Mommmmmadddie, it's fine." Phantom said, he lowered his arms eyes downcast, "sorry." He mumbled. Maddie swallowed a lump she didn't know she had in her throat and turned away.

"What color tie should we get." She tried to say cheerfully and busied herself picking out ties so that she wouldn't have to look at his face.

"Green?" Maddie asked holding a neon green tie to Phantom's neck.

"Sure." He responded. Maddie nodded.

"Green it is." She smiled grabbing a matching handkerchief since they were cheaper as a set. Phantom was already returned to the dressing room changing back into his regular clothes. The sales associate seemed to be staring at the door through which Phantom had vanished behind as if deciding something.

Maddie glanced at the little DP tiepin then back to the door before grabbing it as Phantom reemerged hood drawn over his head handing Maddie the suit.

Maddie walked up to the counter past the girl who snapped a photo of Phantom as he passed and paid for the suit, which was a modest, $125, which considering the quality wasn't that bad.

The rest of the shopping trip was spent in silence as Phantom stared at the other window and refused to look at Maddie and indeed Maddie refused to look at him.


	10. Integration

Danny shifted nervously from foot to foot as he stood behind stage. The school auditorium. That was always fun. So many bad things had come of the auditorium. Danny shiver. Maddie would be on stage soon, announcing to the world her big achievement. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, Danny chewed his nails. Maddie came around the corner in a teal dress. It was professional, giving a no nonsense look, while simultaneously achieving the effect of being elegant. Jack was behind her looking rather uncomfortable in a black suit with an orange shirt.

"Here, let me fix that." Maddie busied herself over Danny's tie, which, due to his nervousness, had been tied backwards. Maddie continued fussing over Danny's appearance, slicking back a stray hair with the universal solvent/gel, mom spit. Danny made a face and tried to slip out of her grip, but her hand was strong and un-wavering.

"Ready?' Maddie asked looking him in the eye.

"No." Danny snorted.

"Well, that will have to do anyway." Maddie took a deep breath and entered the stage, Jack close behind her.

"Greetings Amity Park. It is with great news that we have assembled you here tonight. You may have noticed something missing from our town, a lack of a key element that makes Amity Park famous as the Most Haunted Place on Earth. But tonight my husband, Jack Fenton, and I would like to share with you one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs since black holes._ Reanimation!_ Now typically one would think of reanimation and jump to Frankenstein movies, with the infamous monster of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, and while entertaining, these movies are ludicrous." Maddie took a deep breath.

"Behind this curtain lies the results of our success, but first, some important back ground knowledge. Ghosts as we know them are the post-human remnants of…"

Maddie's voice trailed off as Danny tuned her out, playing with his hands and trying to stop his heart from pounding so loudly. He felt the blood rush to his head and began feeling a bit woozy.

"Hey, you alright?"

Danny shook his head and looked for the source of the voice. Tucker and Sam stood there, Sam holding a glass of water and Tucker holding some ibuprofen. Danny's face lit up.

"Man am I glad to see you two." He wrapped them both in a large hug.

"Water! Danny I'm holding water!" Sam reminded and he quickly let them go.

"You can't imagine what it's been like." Danny sighed. Tucker handed over the ibuprofen as Sam handed him the glass of water.

"Nor can you imagine what it's been like with you gone. I actually went shopping with my mom due to boredom." Sam joked. Tucker nodded.

"Unfortunately with you gone, Dash has picked me as his new favorite punching bag." Tucker admitted, "nothing I can't handle of course, but still, I miss you dude." He cracked a smile. Danny's jaw clenched.

"I can't believe him." Danny hissed.

"Danny calm down." Sam insisted.

"You have bigger things to worry about right now." Tucker reminded. Danny conceded the point and finally popped the ibuprofen into his mouth before downing the glass of water.

"Random observation, but I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair slicked back." Tucker cracked a grin.

"You kinda remind me of Jack." Sam added. Danny choked on his water.

"My father? How?" Danny managed to cough out.

"No, _Jack Dawson_, you know _Titanic_? When he had his hair all slicked back at the party." Sam clarified, Danny continued coughing.

"Didn't know you were into chick flicks Sam." Tucker raised an eyebrow. Sam punched him in the arm.

"Shut up Tucker, I don't make fun of you for crying during it." Sam glared. Tucker rubbed his arm.

"Point, painfully, taken." He moaned as Danny took a deep breath.

"I really appreciate *cough* you guys sneaking back *cough* here like this." Danny sputtered.

"Dude, that's what friends do." Tucker stated Sam nodded in agreement. Maddie's speech continued to drone in the background, Jack adding bits and pieces as they went along.

"Any idea what's gonna happen after this?" Sam asked. Danny nodded.

"I'll be attending Casper High, for the time being, I'm staying with my parents, for research purposes. They've put me in the Guest room, I've got a separate set of clothes, a new toothbrush, deodorant, underwear, everything. It's insane." Danny sighed, "Everything is the same yet different, I can't go to my room, Dad keeps giving me looks like I'm about to destroy them all, Mom thinks I'm going to destabilize at any minute… Which honestly is not that comforting of a thought." Danny ran his hand along the back of his neck, "I would go to the ghost zone and confront Clockwork, but the problem is my parents put the portal on lock down until further notice. My DNA signature doesn't completely match my old one, I mean it's close, but the scaner just ends up confused and it's not pretty."

"Sounds rough." Tucker sympathized.

"On the bright side we'll be seeing a lot more of you." Sam tried to smile.

"Yeah, but I'm a missing person in my own home. I'm surprised mom hasn't made a gadget to hunt _Fenton_ down yet. Or perhaps she has and it can't find me because I'm not exactly me… UGH this is a disaster." Danny growled.

"I'm surprised you haven't gone crazy yet." Tucker remarked, earning an elbow to the stomach from Sam.

"If I thought about it the whole time, I would have, I've just been avoiding the whole topic really. Trying not to think about it, it's worked fairly well so far." Danny sighed. Jazz wandered up to the trio.

"Hey Sam, Hey Tucker… How'd you get back here, I thought there were guards to keep that from happening." Jazz wondered.

"Jeez Jazz, don't sound so happy to see us." Sam frowned. Jazz rolled her eyes; she too was wearing a nice dress.

"Of course I'm happy to see you, that doesn't make the fact that you're _here _right _now_ less interesting." Jazz replied offhandedly.

"Bribed the Guard." Sam admitted.

"There that wasn't so hard, Danny, Mom is building up to her big climax here soon, so Sam and Tucker should probably head out if they don't want to get caught." Jazz advised. Danny nodded and then turned to Sam and Tucker.

"I have to go soon." He sheepishly admitted.

"We are here you know, we did hear everything Jazz said." Sam teased.

"I think I'll record you, just incase you say anything embarrassing I can use for black mail later." Tucker joked receiving a chuckle from Danny and a gaging noise from Sam.

"But enough about science… Presenting to you…" Maddie's voice drifted over their conversation.

"Good luck." Tucker nodded as they two shuffled away.

Danny stepped trough the curtain. The entire room went silent.

"Danny Phantom." Maddie finished hand held out to Danny.

The shocked silence continued.

"Uh… hi." Danny managed. There was silence for a few more seconds, before people realized what this meant. Suddenly clapping erupted, there seemed to be a lot of flashing lights all of a sudden and Danny blinked, his mind felt disconnected from his body as he moved slowly toward his mother.

"Questions?" Maddie prompted. Danny felt like there were a million hands in the audience. The first fourteen or so questions were actually directed toward his mother and father, asking about the science, so Danny was surprised when his mom nudged him.

"Sorry what?" Danny tried to focus on the person holding the microphone through the blinding stage lights.

"Who is going to protect us from the ghosts now?" Danny could tell it was a male, probably high school age. Danny blinked.

"Um… well… there is the Red Huntress… uh… the Guys in White… the Fentons… I guess…" Danny shuffled awkwardly on stage.

"Who were your parents before you died? Are the Fentons your parents now?" Came another voice, they ignored the microphone and opted to shout instead.  
>"I… uh… I'm not sure I feel comfortable answering that… the Fentons have taken me in, but I wouldn't say they view themselves as my parents." Danny chose his words carefully. The microphone squeaked causing the room to wince. Another person with question.<p>

"What was it like being dead?" another person asked.

"Uh… I don't know… I guess… cold. It was strange, the world looked different, but the same, I had this feeling of being disconnected from the world… yet I was still apart of it. I don't know how to describe it." Danny rubbed the back of his neck.

"Can you show us your powers?" came another inquiry.

"I… I'm human now, I don't have powers, I'm not a ghost." Danny frowned wondering how people could be so stupid. It seemed now that one person had dared to ask him a question, the rest decided to follow.

"How did you die?" This question was the one Danny had actually been expecting.

"Electrocution." He responded simply, "I made the mistake of being electrocuted." Danny added some snark to this reply.

"How can we know for sure you are Danny Phantom?" came a pessimistic voice.

"I suppose you only have my word, or the word of the Fentons." Danny shrugged. This grilling session continued for a few more minutes, some more mundane questions asked, like his favorite colour, how being human felt, if he was single. The torture continued, Danny could feel his skin growing hot under the lights and the attention and the pressure. Eventually his mom saved him by redirecting the conference to plans for the future and wrapping up with a nice speech while Danny sat off to the side. After this, a long parade of people came by shaking his hand, Danny was sure Dash and Kwan had passed, Paulina tried to kiss him, to which Danny responded to mechanically, ecto-scientists ask for a sample of his blood or his hair, to which Maddie shoed them off, saying that Danny wasn't to be experimented upon; a fact which Danny found immensely ironic.

Soon the hub-bub died down, Danny vaguely remembered the trip home and found himself in the guest room getting dressed for bed. As he slipped into pajamas and lay on the bed staring at the unfamiliar ceiling Jazz walked into the room.

"Hey… how are you holding up little brother?" Jazz took a seat next to Danny lying back to look at the ceiling as well. Danny was quiet a moment as he stared at the paint patterns above him.

"Life sucks." He managed. It was Jazz's turn to be silent. The two lay on the bed for a while longer the motion-activated porch light outside went on casting an orange glow into the room.

"You start school tomorrow?" Jazz stated it more as a question that anything else. Danny sighed.

"I know." He sat up and stared out the window. "It's times like this when I would go flying to clear my head, to make sense of everything, to escape the confines of my room and…" Danny choked up, "I miss it. There have been times when I've wanted nothing more than to be human again… fully and truly human. I've got that now… but it's messed everything up. This isn't how I wanted it to go, this isn't what I wanted. I'm just so frustrated with everything." Danny shoved off the bed and began pacing, "I feel like I've been stuffed into a box, I want to scream or maybe cry and I can't… I can't do anything about my situation." The frustration on his face was evident, Jazz sat up with a heavy sigh.

"I don't know what to say Danny." Jazz couldn't offer anything to make the situation any better. Danny gave a mirthless laugh.

"Well it's not often you're found speechless." He commented with an attempt to grin, which faltered horribly.

"Try and get some sleep, you've got a long day ahead of you." Jazz stood and made for the door.

"Yeah, I know." Danny continued pacing as Jazz left. He glanced around the room, familiar and yet alien. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, tried to make sense of anything. He was struck with a sudden idea, he could re-create the portal incident. The idea festered in his mind, he gave a small manic grin at the thought, and it would be easy right? Danny shook his head realizing that it may not work, nor did he know if he'd be able to exactly recreate the accident, never mind that it would probably just reverse the appearance of his human and ghost halves. Danny sighed sitting on the bed once more. He swung his legs aimlessly, he couldn't think, couldn't be still. Anger bubbled up inside him again and he returned to pacing the floor. There was a soft knock on the door before Maddie entered the room.

"I brought you some sleeping pills, I figured you'd need them." She held two small blue pills in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. Danny took them gratefully. Giving him drugs seemed to be the going rate of comfort these days, he thought grimly as he washed the pills down with water. Maddie parted in silence and Danny returned to the pacing. A million thoughts raced through his head, most of which he couldn't pin down. His brain never lingered on one subject for more then a second or two before another one popped up. School, parents, ghosts, Clockwork, Lancer, experiments, lots of painful experiments, the portal, his foolishness for being on the roof, anger, ghost attacks, dogs, Dash, Paulina, Sam, healing rate, homework… each new thought tormenting him.

Eventually he slowed his pacing yawning and laying down on the bed. His brain was still racing, yet somehow he found himself falling asleep, it was slow at first, his eyes refusing to stay open until he found himself walking down an endless winding path.

The tiles were a glowing purple colour, and the path itself seemed to be immune to the laws of gravity, it turned and twisted and corkscrewed and plummeted, but Danny continued walking on the path.

The rest of the terrain didn't exist, for miles around there was only blackness, the only light seemed to emit from the bricks themselves. Occasionally Danny thought he could make out a door at the end of the path. For some reason he felt as if he reached the end and made it through that door, then everything would turn out ok.

Prompted by this thought Danny began to run toward the door, but it continued to be perilously out of reach. The path began breaking up under his feet prompting Danny to run faster and faster till he was gasping for breath. The breakdown of the glowing stones was faster still than he was and Danny soon found himself slipping from stone to stone falling into nothing. His heart was racing, he continued falling, faster and faster.

Below him he could see fragments of purple stone hitting a reflective surface, as he stared downward he saw himself come into view. Black hair and blue eyes greeted him, but this did not cause any sense of relief, his own reflection grew quickly until he hit the surface shattering it. His whole body hurt, everything was dark, there was a shrill noise reminding him to do something, reminding him of something important, something was wrapped around his abdomen dragging him down, making it hard to breathe. The shrill ringing continued growing louder and closer and the ability to breathe became harder until at last Danny was aware that he was hanging upside down from the bed, the blankets wrapped around his body the only thing that kept him from falling off completely. The lilac rug was inches from his eyeballs, his forehead firmly planted in the ground. The shrill ringing was his alarm clock.

Disentangling himself from the bedding Danny managed to make it to the ground, where he gathered deep breaths of admittedly dusty air. The sun was barely over the horizon, the smell of eggs and bacon wafted into the room from downstairs. Danny took hauled himself to his feet becoming aware that he was shaking badly, his trembling hands took three attempts to turn the alarm off; eventually succeeding. He made his way out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom, the wall lending it's support in his plight. He gripped the rim of the sink as he stared into the mirror. Nothing had changed; he was still stuck as a human Phantom.

Slowly he splashed cold water on his face as if it would wrestle is shaking limbs under control.

After about a minute or so his hands regained their steadiness. He looked back into the mirror, strands of white hair were plastered to his forehead, humanly green eyes stared back at him. Danny turned away from the mirror and made his way back to the guest room, taking his time getting dressed and grabbing his new backpack before heading downstairs.

His stomach gave out a large growl as the smell of breakfast assaulted his senses. Maddie gave him a smile and gestured to a plate.

As Danny took a seat Maddie scrapped the last of the eggs onto a separate plate and sat down with a mug of coffee across from him.

"We'll have to leave in about 20 minutes or so, wouldn't want you to miss your first day of school." Maddie was disgustingly cheerful for so early in the morning. Danny swallowed some egg.

"That truly would be a tragedy." Danny sneered, his words dripping with sarcasm. Maddie rolled her eyes as he finished up his breakfast.

Jack joined them shortly, practically inhaling what must have been half-dozen eggs and at least eight pieces of bacon. Danny finished shortly after; there was still about five minutes before they had to leave.

Maddie nursed her coffee as Jack went into a rant about ghosts, which Danny was mostly ignoring. Time seemed to drag, but eventually Maddie ushered Danny into the Ghost Assault Vehicle and they made their way to Casper High.

As they pulled up Danny took a breath, pulled his hood over his head and made his way into the school.

There was a quick stop at the office to pick up his schedule and a tour from, what Danny judged as an overly friendly Senior, who used the word awesome more that should be legal.

Eventually the bell rang and he was left to attend his first class, surprised when he actually arrived a bit early.

Lancer.

There were maybe three other people in the room. Truthfully Danny was a bit peeved Sam and Tucker hadn't met him already. He took his usual seat leaving his hood up and dropping his bag by his foot.

More students shuffled in, Danny did his best to look inconspicuous, but he still received some strange looks and hushed awe. Lancer looked up from his book noticing Danny for the first time.

"Mr. Fenton, remove your hood." Lancer used his "teacher" voice. Danny hesitated, and Lancer gave him a look. Shaking Danny pulled the hood down, Lancer's face was almost enough to make him laugh, that is if he wasn't so scared.

He tried to reason with himself, that he didn't have anything to be afraid of, that he'd fought worse, been through worse, seen the horrors of Pandora's box, fought the ghost king Pariah Dark, looked into the face of pure evil. Yet nothing stopped him from shaking. Lancer cleared his throat.

"My apologies… Phantom… you're occupying the spot that young Mr. Fenton generally does. It slipped my mind for a moment that he was missing." Lancer nodded, "You're going to be a bit behind on material, see me after class about some tutoring and extra credit opportunities."

"Yes Mr. Lancer." Danny responded automatically. The rest of the period was spent with people staring at him and talking behind their hands. As soon as the bell rang Danny pulled up the hood again, making his way to Mr. Lancer's desk. The English teacher droned on, Danny's eyes began to glaze over when suddenly he was brought back to reality by Lancer's hand on his shoulder. He looked up at the English teacher.

"Is there something wrong?" He looked genuinely concerned. Danny swallowed hard, something he seemed to be doing a lot lately.

"Everything." Danny managed turning to leave before Lancer could say anything in response. Danny made his way through the halls, whispers following him, until he found his locker. His locker wouldn't open, no matter how carefully or violently he twisted the dial.

"There's a trick to it." Came a voice from his right.

_Sam_.

A smile spread across his face as Sam opened the locker for him.

"How are you?" Danny asked. Sam shrugged.

"Better than you from the looks of it." Sam responded, then glanced around noticing they were attracting attention. She stuck her hand out, "Sam Manson, Ultra-recyclo-vegetarian, and Casper High's resident freak." She introduced, her voice playful. Danny chuckled.

"Danny Phantom, Ex- ghost and former Public Enemy Number 1." Danny took her hand shaking it briefly. Rather than strange looks, Sam was now attracting glares. Danny placed some books in the locker and retrieved some others debating on leaving his backpack in the locker or taking it to class again. Sam continued to hover by the locker.

"What's your schedule like?" She asked, rather than waiting for him to answer though she took it from him peering over it, "You have technology with Tucker, History with both of us, ooh, Gym too, that'll be fun. Seems like you and I have Drama together too." Sam smiled. Danny found himself relaxing as he closed his locker.

"Not a bad schedule then." He smiled. Sam laughed.

"Well, given the fact that it's a high school schedule, I'd say you got off easy." She smiled. Tucker wandered up to them head and hat dripping onto his shirt.

"Sorry man, I got caught up in the toilet." He grumbled. Danny felt his hands clench into fists.

"Dash?" He assumed. Tucker nodded and pulled a towel from his bag.

"Though I must say it's a relief he used a clean toilet this time." Tucker quipped as he toweled off.

The fact that Tucker was keeping a towel in his bag said to Danny that this was an everyday occurrence, and this made him that much angrier. He found himself grinding his teeth. The warning bell rang and he looked at his friends.

"I'm going to fix this ok." He promised. They nodded having faith in him, even if it seemed impossible.

The trio split up each heading for their separate classes.

Math.

Danny grimaced at the door; inside Kwan and Dash were passing a football back and forth across the classroom, Star seemed to be doing her nails. Mikey was bent over finishing up homework at the last minute, though Danny had no doubt that it wasn't his own homework. Mr. Falluca had yet to arrive. Danny tried to slip in unnoticed. It seemed to work until he tripped over his own feet and went flying into a nearby desk.

He felt his face heat up as all eyes were on him, he wished he could just sink through the ground and never come back up. Dash stood over him, Danny winced as he stuck his hand out. It took him half a second to realize Dash was offering him help up. Danny gratefully took the hand as he was hauled to his feet.

"Thanks." Danny muttered. Dash nodded and tried to find his tongue.

"Dash… Dash Baxter, huge fan." He stammered out. Danny gave a tight smile.

"Uh… yeah, I remember." Came his response. Dash turned bright red.

"You remember?" Dash looked as if the gods had named him the chosen one.

"Kinda hard to forget running through the Fentons house while smaller the mice." Danny quipped. Dash broke into a huge grin.

"I knew it was you, a lot of people didn't believe that it really was you, but you remembered." Dash bobbed his head up and down, Danny came to realize he was giving him the bro-nod-of-approval.™

"Yeah… thanks… I think." Danny tried to take a seat across the room but he suddenly found his body being guided by a large hand on the shoulder. A few moments later he found himself sitting between Dash and Kwan as class began. Mr. Falluca looked over his glasses in an attempt to call roll. Things progressed as usual until he got to Danny's name, gave an excited squeak, then disappeared behind his desk. Danny turned red, the entire class laughing as Mr. Falluca appeared moments later to resume class.

Even if Danny had wanted to learn anything about Polynomials, and vectors, and proofs, it wouldn't have been possible from his vantage point.

Dash and Kwan flanked both his eyes, talking excitedly and asking him question. Star was adopting a similar manner, save for the fact that she had draped her self seductively over the back of her desk and Danny was having a hard time not looking down her shirt. Questions varied between, _how did you die,_ to _what's your favorite band_ and _would you consider joining the football team_ and back again to_ do you want to go to prom with me?_ Danny wasn't sure who asked the last question, but he was hoping it was Star, given that he didn't want to go to prom with either of his former tormentors. Then again, he didn't really want to go to prom with Star either. Still he said he wasn't planning on going to prom and that if he did he'd consider it: an answer, which did nothing to satisfy anyone.

Feeling emotionally exhausted Danny left math and began the long trek to History. As he entered he made a beeline for Tucker and Sam, who both gave him wide grins as he sat down.

"I swear if I have to do this everyday for the rest of my life I _will_ go insane." Danny slouched in the seat with a sigh.

"Can't be that bad." Tucker reasoned. Danny glared at him from under his hood, "Well at least things can't get any wo-"

"NOOOO!" Both Danny and Sam yelled at the same time.

"You nearly tempted fate! Don't be so careless." Sam glared.

"We all know that things can always get worse." Danny added. Tucker held his hands up in surrender.

"I know, I'm sorry. I made a mistake." Tucker slowly lowered his hands. Lancer entered the room.

"Hood." He spoke as he began writing on the board. Danny obliged, lowering the hood, those who hadn't noticed who he was began whispering to one another, those who had noticed, whispered harder. Lancer turned away from the board the class restless and rowdy.

"Calm down people!" Lancer instructed, "We already knew that Mr. Phantom would be joining us today. No need to cause such a fuss. He's just like anyone else, and I expect you to treat him as such, which predominantly means, no bothering him while you're in this class room." Lancer's words had quieted the room, "Now, we left off last class talking about early Christianity in the middle ages. Does anyone remember what the clergy began wielding once the king banned holy men from carrying swords?"

* * *

><p><em>It was dark, hard to see anything, his arm was still bleeding and it seemed as if this may be the end.<em>

"_Sam?" He called into the darkness, the rope tying the two of them together had long since broken, the other end where Tucker was tethered disappeared into darkness, seeming to stretch for an infinity. This had been a bad idea, it had always been a bad idea. He recalled the desperation that led him to this fate._

_There was laughter in the distance, something darker than their surroundings lurked within. There was a loud scream._

_The rope went slack._

_He was all alone now, facing whatever lurked in the darkness._

_Red eyes watched this all unfold, offering no visible help or guidance. A sigh escaped the spirit._

"_Your Time is up Phatom."_

**That's all for now folks. I hope to begin updating more regularly, but we shall see. It's been kind of hard integrating Phantom into common society. Hopefully I'll be able to get over this stage soon and progress to the next one. We have a lot of ground to cover before the ends of this story.**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed, favorite, followed, etc. this story. It means a lot. Especially when I see reviews a year later. It keeps me motivated though it may not seem like it at times.**


	11. Boo-merang

Danny panted as he ran knowing that if he stopped he was sure to die. His lungs burned and his vision blurred with tears, his nostrils flared with each breath, he felt as if he was about to die, his muscles protested as he ran, Tucker was not far behind him, the moaning noises he was making only served to let Danny know that he was still alive.

_I'm okay._

_I'm Okay._

_I'm okay._

_I'M OKAY!_

_I THINK I'M GONNA DIE!_

"Alright class, bring it in." Tetslaff boomed across the Gym. Panting Tucker and Danny made it to the gaggle of student.

"I expected a better show of fitness from the self proclaimed town hero." Tetslaff huffed.

"Ghost… Powers… not… human… fitness… being… human… is… hard." Danny puffed out through each breath; his hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat.

"That's no excuse." Tetslaff glared down at him. Danny sighed and his knees collapsed under him. Sam snickered to the side.

"You children better buck up, next month is the annual fitness test, in order to graduate you must pass this exam." Tetslaff barked. Groans filled the gym, "Stop yur whining. We train again tomorrow if we have to, and the day after that, so help me if we have to run in the rain, snow, and the apocalypse, you will all pass this exam." After a brief glare she dismissed class. Danny continued panting near Tucker. Shadows loomed over them and Tucker was picked off the mat.

"Hey!" he protested as Kwan carried him off. Danny stood.

"What was that for!?" He demanded.

"Meh, loser like him isn't worth your time. Just looking out for your best interests." Dash shrugged.

"First of all, I can look after my own interests, second of all, I don't think I want to hang out with anyone who treats other humans that way." Danny turned to leave.

"Wait!" Dash put a hand on Danny's shoulder to stop him, Danny whipped around with a glare and Dash put his hands up.

"Look I'm sorry about the techno geek, it won't happen again. I was just wondering if you needed somebody to train with, you know to get help adjusting to human life, I'll be happy to work out with you, or like, I have a personal gym at my house so you don't have to worry about doing it in public." Dash blushed. Danny sighed.

"Thanks for the offer, if I survive this week I may take you up on it." Danny paused, when Dash didn't leave he hesitated, "Is there something else?" He questioned.

"Well… the thing is, I've always looked up to you, and I was wondering if you'd like to hang out, I'd like to be more like you." Dash mumbled.

"Start by being nice to everyone, not just the people you deem worthy. I don't pick and choose who to save based on their popularity." Danny accused, "You seem like you sincerely mean it, but I don't like your actions." Dash didn't look ashamed, but more scolded. Danny turned and left him standing there, it was unlikely that he would think about the consequences of his actions, but there was always hope.

* * *

><p>If there was one thing Danny was dreading above all else it would have to have been lunch.<p>

It felt like thousands of eyes were on him, he could feel his face flushing while he kept his eyes firmly glued to his tray as he made his way through the lunch line. The lunch lady (not to be confused with The Lunch Lady) seemed un-impressed; Danny just wished everyone else would follow her lead.

If making it through the lunch line weren't bad enough as he turned there were at least 15 people staring at him, some just standing with anticipation wondering where he would drop his tray. Danny tried to quiet his heart; it seemed incredibly loud all of a sudden.

_Sam… Tucker… where are you?_ Danny mentally pleaded scanning the cafeteria. He hesitated a moment longer when he suddenly felt a strong arm around his shoulders.

"So I've been thinking about what you've said." It was Dash. Danny nodded, "But I have to wonder, how are these nerds going to respect me if I'm nice to them?"

"They don't respect you Dash, they fear you." Danny replied in a flat tone eyes scanning for a quick escape.

"That's the same thing right?" Dash blinked. Danny sighed.

"No. No it's not. Respect and Fear are completely different, there are times when the two may seem similar but they are not. Do you respect any of the ghosts that _attack_ the town?" Danny questioned as Dash led him to his table.

"No." Dash responded pulling out a chair for Danny to sit in.

"If one of them told you to do something would you do it?" Danny added.

"No." Dash defended.

"If a ghost was in front of you right now, glowing and mighty glaring down on you with a power that could crush you in seconds, and he told you to give him your homework, you wouldn't do it to save your arse?" Danny elaborated. Dash pondered.

"Ok, maybe, but only because I'll admit to him being more powerful than me." Dash allowed. Danny nodded.

"That is what you do to those 'nerds,' they don't respect you, they fear what you might do to them if they don't comply." Danny finished. Dash sat for a minute.

"What is respect if it's not pounding on people to get them to do what you want them to do." Dash frowned. Kwan joined the table.

"That's exactly what respect is. If they aren't scared of you, they aren't going to respect you." Kwan dug into his food. Dash shook his head.

"But I don't respect ghosts, though I may… well may be just a little scared of what they can do to me. I'm not scared of them actually, know that, but what they can do scares me. But I don't respect them." Dash explained. Kwan paused in his eating.

"But that's different because it's ghosts." Kwan's eyebrows were furrowed though, like he didn't know himself.

"It's not different!" Danny slammed his hands on the table causing the two to jump, "It's still people with more power exploiting and intimidating people with less power!" Danny frowned at the two before him, "Think about who _you_ respect!"

The two exchanged looks.

"Well I respect you." Dash admitted.

"Me too." Added Kwan, "and also Tesla."

"Why?" Danny demanded. Once again the two jocks looked toward each other as if looking for answers.

"Well I respect you because you're cool, and have powers… and… you're somebody." Dash attempted.

"Well I no longer have powers, does that mean I can go sit at what you've deemed the loser table, since I am irrevocably and unfortunately _human_. I have no markers by which you deemed me respectable before." Danny picked up his tray. Dash grabbed his arm.

"Wait…" Dash fumbled over his words, "I guess because you were a hero… I looked up to you, what you did for people, for me, the town… the powers were cool though, you have to admit." Dash mumbled toward the end.

"Well I respect Tesla because of the things he did for science, I guess he wasn't scary… except when he went crazy and tried to build a death ray…" Kwan frowned.

"Respect is something you earn, not something you pound out of people." Danny pulled his arm out of Dash's grasp and wandered over to an empty corner.

He expected to be swarmed immediately, but apparently the expression on his face was enough to ward people off. He glared into his semblance of mashed potatoes before he felt someone sit opposite him. He switched his glare to them before recognizing the face across from him.

"Valerie?" He blinked. Valerie glared.

"I hate you." She stated.

"Yeah. I know. You've only said that every time we've ever met, or rather yelled it every time we've fought." Danny quipped switching from surprised to defiant.

"Shut up spook I wasn't finished." Valerie glared, "and keep it down the whole cafeteria is listening." Danny held his hands up as a sign of surrender, "Listen… I hate you."

"Yes, we've established that." Danny went back to making a moonscape out of his potatoes, Valerie cleared her throat and continued.

"Look, this doesn't make us friends or anything… but what you said back there… it makes a lot of difference to people around here." Valerie glanced at the table where Mikey and a few other "nerds" were watching.

"Is this an apology?" Danny raised an eyebrow casting a quick glance at the table and back to Val.

"Oh _hell_ no. They were just to shy to tell you themselves. I'm still going to make your _life_ hell for what you've put me through." Val glared then got up from the table. Danny watched her get up and return to the table giving Mikey and the others a few words before leaving. One of the other kids caught his eye. Danny gave a half wave and a small smile to which the other hesitantly returned. Danny scanned the cafeteria; still no Sam and Tucker. Danny glanced down at his desolated lunch, if it could even be called that, then sighed and pushed it away laying his head down on the table. The next thing he knew Paulina was staring at him from across the table.

"You can pick me up at eight, they're showing a movie I'd like to watch at the cinema." She gave her most charming smile, and even Danny had to admit he's lost his brain for a few seconds there.

"Uh…." Danny blinked.

"Uh… really intelligent ghost boy." Sam sat her tray down next to Danny. Danny turned bright red, as if he wasn't embarrassed enough.

"Ew, get lost Goth, we don't want your kind around here." Paulina waved her hand dismissively; Sam gave her a deadpan look. Danny attempted not to chuckle, lest he feel Sam's wrath.

"My kind? You do realize that Ghosts are more in Goth territory than prep right? You know the whole being dead thing." Sam went back to her lunch.

"As if, superheroes fall squarely into my expertise Goth Freak!" Paulina send a glare over to Sam, then she smiled at Danny, "Wouldn't you like to see exactly how far my expertise extends though?" She gave a coy smile. Danny continued to blush red.

"Uh… yeah… sounds good and all… but the Fentons have me on a short leash, and I'm really not into the whole calling people freaks thing so…" Danny trailed of as Paulina's face morphed into one of disgust.

"Are you turning me down?" She frowned.

"Only circumstantially?" Danny winced, "I mean, it is possible under different circumstances… but not now? I mean…" Danny babbled. Sam saved him.

"He means the Fenton's like to keep a close eye on their experiments, and unfortunately for you, I know the Fentons and they've deputized me with the task of babysitting the worlds most clueless reformed ghost. And also unfortunately for you, the mayor has backed both the Fenton's up and by extension me. So if you would kindly remove your claws from the experiment or I'll be informing you're the mayor who will in turn inform your father, who will in turn do something unpleasant like… I don't know… cut your spending allowance." Sam rolled her eyes. Paulina glared.

"You don't scare me." She defiantly jutted out her chin, "Just because you've got the power of the government behind you for now doesn't mean much for long, you'll see. Everyone has their price." Paulina's voice went back to dripping with sweetness, "Even you ghost boy." She smiled. Danny gulped, but Paulina retreated back to her usual table, Tucker sat down.

"Damn… what did I miss?"

* * *

><p>Danny was glad to duck into the safety of the Fenton RV as his mom pulled up. He practically dove into the back; the only thing that would have made his entrance more dramatic is if he'd yelled "STEP ON IT!" as he reached the RV.<p>

Maddie raised her eyebrows at his antics. She drove carefully away, there were children trying to get a glimpse inside and Phantom clung to the floorboards.

"Bad day?" Maddie questioned.

"Bad doesn't even summarize it." Phantom peeked up and hesitantly made his way into the passenger seat as the High School shrunk behind them, "Try… horrifying, or exhausting, or even excruciatingly painful with a dash of petrifying embarrassment." Phantom ranted. Maddie gave a brief nod.

"Understandable."

"Understandable? Understandable? Excuse me but did you just say understandable? After all this, my pain is understandable. Thanks; I'm glad you summed up my entire shitty day in one word. Understandable." Phantom growled folding his arms and grumbling out the window. Maddie bit back a laugh._ Trust a teen to be over dramatic. _She thought. The ride home was fast, probably because most cars tended to get out of the way when they saw the Fenton RV, mostly due to Jack's driving.

Phantom grumbled his way to the guest bedroom while Maddie went down to the Lab and began checking the experiment she'd left. She was making a modified Boo-merang, which would hopefully respond to Danny. It had targeted him before, and seemed to be keyed into him, but hopefully it would respond this time. She'd tried using it before, to no avail, but it has run into a wall and turned itself off, when she tried it in open air it lodged itself into the ground. It didn't seem to be working properly, so this time around she'd re-inputted the data using Danny's DNA from his hair rather than just relying on what the Boo-merang seemed to have picked up from Danny before. The Data had just finished uploading and the Boo-merang was beeping cheerfully. She threw it. It flew around the room a couple times then made its way up the stairs. Maddie chased after it as it flew to the bedrooms, into Danny's room and hit Phantom square in the forehead.

Phantom hit the ground and groaned holding his head. The Boo-merang chirped happily once more as if it expected to be rewarded.

"Are you kidding me!'" Phantom groaned picking up the Boo-merang, "You again! I thought you'd stop picking up on my ecto-signature given _THAT I DON'T HAVE ONE ANYMRORE!" _Phantom yelled at the device, apparently oblivious to Maddie in the doorway. He turned his back on her setting the Boo-merang down on the bed and holding his forehead and sitting down at Danny's computer. Maddie wanted to say something, object, but something stopped her.

Surprisingly Phantom's quick fingers brought the computer alive as he expertly navigated through Danny's computer opening the chat browser. The computer hummed till Sam and Tucker popped up on the screen, Maddie took a quiet step back watching.

"Hey dude." Tucker smiled. Sam nodded at Danny but seemed to be in the middle of painting her nails a darker shade of black.

"Hey guys." Phantom gave a familiar sheepish smile. Sam glanced up at the monitor.

"You do realize you're bleeding." She commented. Phantom touched a hand to his head pulling away with blood on it.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" He yelled, he grabbed the tissues off Danny's desk and held them to his bleeding head.

"You might want to seek more medical attention than that." Sam raised an eyebrow.

"It'll heal in a few minutes." Phantom muttered clicking through files on Danny's computer.

"Uh… no it won't, dude, you're not half-ghost anymore." Tucker's voice came from the other window.

"Thanks for reminding me." Phantom made a face, "I'll be back…" He swiveled on his chair headed toward Maddie, but his face was still turned toward the screen, Maddie froze, "My mom's downstairs with an experiment of some sort, I'll clean up then we can…" Phantom's eyes had met hers. His mouth formed a small o.

"Danny?" Sam and Tucker squinted at their screens.

"You ok?" Came Tucker's question moving his head as if he could see around Phantom. There was silence between the two. Sam and Tucker seemed to be trying to get Phantom's attention, but Phantom and Maddie were in the middle of an intense staring contest.

"Uh…" Phantom broke the silence, "How long have you been standing there?"

**And on that cliffhanger I leave you.**

**Please leave reviews, honestly they do motivate me. It may not seem like it given that there have been times when I don't update for months, but they really do motivate me, especially when I haven't updated for months. To see that you guys still care and that people are still reading is fantastic. And so is some nice words about my stuff. I really enjoy it.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading.**

**Con-San out!**


	12. Of Dinosaurs and Ducks

**Oh wow. The reviews. You guys… I'm touched, baffled even. Thank you for the reviews. Anyway another chapter, mostly because I got a shit tone of reviews, also because I'm watching Danny Phantom right now.**

There could only be a certain amount that Maddie could explain away. Phantom blinked up at her looking incredibly sheepish. Maddie folded her arms.

"Long enough." She put on her best "mom" face.

"I can explain!" Phantom was suddenly on his feet arms splayed outward.

"You better." Maddie frowned.

"Is that Mrs. Fenton?" Tucker asked to Sam in the background, "How much do you think she heard. Does she know about the portal-"

"Tucker SHUT UP!" Sam growled. Phantom sat back down in the computer chair looking defeated.

"You have some explaining to do young man." Maddie tapped her foot impatiently for emphasis. The Boo-merang chirped happily again and suddenly took off through Danny's open window, surprising both Maddie and Phantom. Maddie hesitated a half a second then she ran out of the room.

"Don't think we're not going to talk about this later!" Maddie yelled as she ran down the stars and to the lab. She grabbed her computer and located the Boo-merang through the GPS tracker installed in it. It was flying at alarming speeds out of Amity Park and even out of Illinois. Maddie blinked. What could have happened to Danny that took him so far away? Maddie wanted to hop into the RV right then and there and follow the Boo-merang. But it was already halfway across the state. Maddie waited with anticipation, she was finally one step closer to finding her son.

She watched as the little pinging dot moved across the screen until suddenly it disappeared.

"WHAT!?" Maddie stood glaring down at the laptop. Had the Boo-merang hit a tree? Had it broken, Had it hit a plane, a bush, anything? Was it even still on earth, had the battery died? Maddie found her self-balking at the last statement. She'd designed the Boo-merang, as well as some other devices, to have self-sustaining energy sources and could last at minimum 14 years.

Maddie sighed collapsing to the ground. All her anger left her. She had tried to keep up the façade, keep a collected attitude, especially around Phantom. But this was the last straw. It was hopeless. Maddie's eyes closed and she let the tears fall. Soon sobs were shaking her and she pulled her knees to her chest. She knew she must look pathetic, but she buried her head into her knees and cried. The police were no help. No one had seen hide nor hair of her son. She'd been keeping to together for what felt like forever and her last hope had been in the Boo-merang finding Danny.

Now the Boo-merang was gone, probably with no hope of it ever appearing again, and with it her last chance of finding her son. She cried; it was all she could do.

Time passed slowly, yet all at once; soon the creaking of the stairs alerted her to the presence of her husband. He looked at her, a crying mess on the ground.

"Mads?" He helped her to her feet and wrapped his comforting arms around her, "We'll find him, and you know we will." He assured. Maddie hugged him back. Jack may not have always been the most tactful, but if anything he was an optimist. His confidence that they would find Danny gave Maddie a bit of hope herself. Because if there was one thing Jack Fenton did not do, it was give up. Sure he procrastinated, and he certainly would forget things from time to time. He was even a huge goofball that couldn't be taken seriously most of the time. But he was a genius, and he loved Danny.

Maddie felt ashamed for losing hope. Jack squeezed her softly to let her know he was there for her.

"Its just so frustrating Jack." Maddie wiped her eyes. Jack nodded, eyes sad, it wasn't often that you saw the cheerful mass of orange sad. He kissed her forehead.

"I know baby. I still suspect the Phantom kid knows something about it. He's always so secretive." Jack glared suspiciously up the stairs.

"Come on Jack, he's a teenager, by definition secretive." Maddie defended. However, he did have a point.

"There's something more Mads… I feel it in my boots." Jack insisted. Maddie frowned. From time to time Jack was more perceptive than he let on. Maddie gave Jack a hug then the couple headed up stairs. Phantom was digging through the fridge, when he saw Maddie he jumped and tried to make a hasty retreat.

"Not so fast." Maddie put grabbed his arm, "first you're going to explain what you were doing in Danny's room." Phantom looked for an exit.

"I… well you see…" Phantom sighed, "Look, I met Sam and Tucker at school, they said that they were friends of Danny's and I got Danny's computer password and chat login from them." Phantom admitted. Maddie stared down at the boy. His story did seem likely. Jack triumphantly pulled a bowl of fudge out of the fridge and made his way to the Ops Centre. Danny watched him go.

"I'm more interested in this Half-Ghost business." Maddie sat Phantom down in a chair and sat across from him. Phantom's eyes went wide.

"You… you heard that too?" He glanced around the kitchen then back at Maddie, "It's… it's hard to explain." He held his hands out as if that would be an indication.

"Then you better get to explaining." Maddie folded her arms.

"I… I… look there was an accident." Phantom sighed, "A bad one… I was… I got caught in a piece of experimental equipment in a lab…" he was using vague words and mumbling, "It… it killed me… but also didn't?" He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "I mean… I still don't know exactly what it did… I guess… I became half ghost, my DNA or something was altered with ectoplasm… or… maybe I died, and didn't at the same time… like a shro… Schrödinger's cat? All I know is one moment I'm normal the next I have ghost powers?"

Maddie theorized that he thought he was still alive after his death, or maybe even had hallucinations that he was alive except when he thought the town was in danger… except… except Tucker and Sam were talking to him like they knew him. Like being Half-Ghost was something they could corroborate. Maddie stared at the boy. She ran possible scenarios through her head. It didn't seem possible that a person could be a human and a ghost at the same time. It was just as ridiculous as humans having ghost powers or any super power. Her finger tapped against her arm.

"Look I'm telling the truth." Phantom insisted.

Maddie believed him, or at least believed that he believed he was truthful.

"You called me mom." Maddie said. It wasn't specifically that she had wanted to ask about it, but it was nagging on her mind and it was something to fill the silence. At this Phantom blushed.

"I… well… you remind me… and… with the gun… and life… first person I saw when I was alive again right… like… uh… chickens… or is it ducks… and my mom is… well you are very close to her… I mean… ducks? Imprinting is it? Why am I still talking I am such a spaz." Phantom continued blushing as Maddie stared at him.

"Like ducks?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah… ducks." He blushed harder.

"Ducks." Maddie mused, she was struggling to keep a straight face, she really wanted to laugh, "Ducks." She repeated choking down a chuckle.

"Or dinosaurs." He blurted out. Maddie giggled. Phantom hid behind his hands.

"Dinosaurs?" She was having a hard time keeping it together now. Her train of thought had veered off track, "Dinosaurs and Ducks?" She giggled.

"You know what I mean!" Phantom moaned from behind his hands.

"I'm not entirely sure that I do." Maddie covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Phantom groaned.

"Excuse me for flunking Biology because I was too busy hunting ghosts." He grumbled to himself. Followed by something that sounded like purple back gorilla thermos and sulk-er. Maddie was regaining control of herself and she sighed, a chortle or two escaping her lips as she went about preparing dinner.

"Go… do your homework… we don't want you flunking Biology and not knowing about Dinosaurs and Ducks." Maddie laughed again. Phantom slunk off grumbling to himself. As her chuckles died down she felt empty again. Danny was still missing, and no amount of laughter could fix that. The rest of the night moved by in a blur, her mind distracted by the possible scenarios that Danny could have gotten himself into, each one more horrible than the last.

* * *

><p>Danny's dreams were restless, in the dream he was standing in the lab. The portal wasn't constructed yet; his parents had failed in their attempt to build a ghost portal. The lab was empty. Danny could see his hair flopping over his eyes, black, something he hadn't seen for a few weeks. Danny glanced around the lab, the white and black suit was sticking out of a bin. Danny walked over and picked it up. <em>This is where it all began… the lab accident… the portal…<em> Danny stared at the suit and the portal. He rubbed the material in his hands… echos of battles, of fights, came from the empty portal. _Who are you? A ghost trying to fit in with humans? Or some creepy little boy with creepy little powers?_ Spectra's taunts came echoing out of the portal.

_Danny your powers make you unique, unique is good!_ Came Sam's battling Spectra's jab. Danny's grip on the suit tightened. Suddenly he was wearing it. The echoes of battles grew louder as he climbed into the portal, his heart was pounding. The first time had been an accident, the second time had been trust. Neither time he knew what kind of pain he was going to feel. He knew now. He felt like his heart was going to explode, the shouts and screams and sounds of pain and distress grew louder and louder. Danny stared at the on button his black gloved hand shaking as it hovered over it. He knew what to expect, what pushing the button would cause. He swallowed hard then slammed into it.

The sounds stopped, everything was dead quiet. Time slowed down, he turned toward the back of the Portal where a green light was building. He expected to see it come toward him slowly, as things do in dreams, but then everything exploded into real time. He choked on his first scream. His skin prickled his heart felt cold. His suit flashed into a negative and he could see his hair turn white in front of him.

The second scream built up, slowly but gaining in volume until his screaming jarred him out of bed.

Jazz flicked on the light. Danny held his head, it had seemed so real.

"Danny?" Jazz came to his side worried, she placed her hand on his shoulder. Danny felt something wet running down his face, wet and cold. He hadn't thought he was crying.

"Danny are you ok?" Jazz squeezed his shoulder. Danny wiped the wet from his face and looked up, Jazz covered her mouth.

"Danny, oh my god!"

"What?" Danny looked down at his hand, it was covered with glowing green ecto-plasm. Danny used the other hand to wipe at his eyes, more ecto-plasm. Jazz grabbed tissues and attempted to dap at Danny's face, the tissues becoming soaked as they did little to stem the flow of ecto-plasm from Danny's eyes.

"We should get mom and dad." Jazz made for the door.

"NO!" Danny yelled, Jazz froze.

"Danny, this is serious, something is very wrong here." Jazz looked at Danny eyes worried.

"No… I'm fine… please… they'll run a thousand tests on me." Danny continued to wipe at his eyes. The flow seemed to be stopping.

"Danny… this isn't right, this shouldn't be happening." Jazz insisted. Danny shook his head.

"Please Jazz… please." He insisted. Jazz lingered by the door. Danny cleaned up, his eyes feeling puffy and irate.

"Danny… you're going to have to tell them eventually." Jazz brought the wastebasket over the bed where Danny proceeded to dispose of the tissue.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Jazz questioned again.

"I'm fine. Tired and sore, and a little exasperated, but fine." Danny reiterated. Jazz nodded.

"I'm in the next room over if you need me." She replaced the rubbish bin and turned the light off closing the door behind her.

"I'm fine." Danny insisted. There was a whine from under the bed. In all the chaos of school and his mom almost figuring out his secret he'd nearly forgotten about Cujo. Danny fished the dog out from under the bed. He wasn't looking to good himself. He was breathing heavily and seemed to be running a fever. Danny pet him and Cujo licked his hand weakly.

"Looks like we're in the same boat buddy." Danny laid back down laying the dog beside him and went back to sleep.

* * *

><p>The puppy still wasn't doing well in the morning. Danny frowned as he clicked off the alarm and petted the dog gently. Cujo whined. Danny picked him up and carried him down stairs.<p>

"M… Maddie?" He poked his head into the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" Maddie could sense the worry in his voice.

"I… I think something is wrong with Cujo." Danny came into the kitchen the poor dog in his arms. Maddie put the eggs she was cooking on a nearby plate and quickly came to investigate.

"Oh dear…" Maddie picked the dog up gently, "You go get dressed, I'll take him to the vet this morning." Maddie instructed. Danny nodded and headed back upstairs. On the way he passed Jazz.

"Are you ok?" Jazz pulled him aside.

"Fine, just fine really." Danny insisted. Jazz frowned.

"I still think we should tell mom and dad. What if it happens again?" Jazz questioned.

"It won't." Danny affirmed. Jazz glared at him.

"You can't know that." She crossed her arms, "Promise me if it does happen again you'll come to me, and _then_ we tell our parents."

"Ok. I promise." Danny held his hands up, "Now can I go get dressed or what?" He added with some snark. Jazz rolled her eyes but continued down the stairs.

Danny remerged, showed, dressed, and ready for school. Maddie had breakfast on the table, of which Jazz and Jack were already eating. Danny joined them shoveling eggs into his mouth.

"So Phantom. How was your first day of school?" Jack asked boisterously with a grin. Danny groaned.

"That bad?" Jack laughed, "I remember when I was your age…"

"Don't you have to get to school?" Jazz butted in. Danny glanced at the clock.

"Oh crud… I should have left 10 minutes ago." He shoveled the rest of his eggs into his mouth along with the bacon while washing it all down with orange juice.

"Mom is busy I'll drive." Jazz twirled the keys around her finger and headed out to the car. Danny grabbed his bag and followed. They climbed into the car and headed to school.

"Thanks for saving me." Danny mentioned, pulling on his hoodie as they drove.

"Believe me, I was saving myself as much as I was you." Jazz glanced over at Danny, "It's like 73 degrees out, why are you wearing that?" Jazz frowned.

"Because it's better than being recognized going down the street. Yesterday was a nightmare. I don't want to relive it." Danny pulled the hood up and glared out at the street.

"Well you seem to be doing alright for the most part." Jazz shrugged.

"Meaning I haven't gone nuts or de-stabilized into ectoplasmic goo." Danny sneered.

"Hey I'm on your side remember, no need to take the attitude with me." Jazz reprimanded. Danny sighed.

"I know… sorry Jazz… I'm just… well upset doesn't really cover it." Danny huffed.

"Speaking of ectoplasmic goo…" Jazz cast a worried look over at Danny, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I told you already, I had a weird dream though." Danny mumbled.

"Tell me about it." Jazz perked up.

"Oh no! I'm not telling you anything, you would just psycho analyze me and drown me in psycho-babble, not something I'm willing to inflict on myself right now. Danny teased. Jazz rolled her eyes.

"Dreams can be a valuable insight into the subconscious, if nothing else it can help you get something off your chest." Jazz lectured.

"Fine… I dreamt about the portal accident." Danny relented, "But not… not how it happened. It was more like… I don't know, I chose to go into the portal, even though I knew what waited for me if I did so." Danny looked away.

"That makes sense." Jazz stated.

"Does it?" Danny glanced at her like she was crazy.

"Well, to me it says that you're willing to sacrifice your own happiness. I believe, if faced with the choice to go back in the portal or live a normal life, especially knowing what you know now, you'd choose the portal. Because if your powers could help save people, protect those close to you, you'd do it." Jazz explained. Danny "huh'"-ed.

"I guess I never thought about it like that." He went back to looking out toward the street.

"Plus I think your really enjoy flying." Jazz added. Danny laughed.

"Guilty as charged." Danny smiled.

* * *

><p>School proceeded pretty much as planned. Word had spread about Sam being "in charge of integrating Phantom" so it people didn't question her presence, nor Tucker's (given that they just assumed that Tucker must be in on it since he knew the Fentons as well) as Danny went about school. And for that he was grateful. What he wasn't grateful for was the scores of people that would follow him around. He couldn't discuss anything with Sam and Tucker given that Dash, Star, Kwan, and Paulina surrounded him during any free time. There was hardly time alone with Sam or Tucker. Miraculously he had a free period, which he was now spending hiding deep within the bowels of the library.<p>

He was camouflaging himself behind a book, Dash was just around the aisle, and Danny was trying to escape by slipping through the bookshelves as fast as possible, as he did so he ran straight into someone and fell down.

"Oh I am so sorry." She said before she turned. Danny's hood fell off.

"What are you doing her ghost!" Valerie demanded. Danny stood up.

"It may have escaped your notice, but I go here now." Danny glared.

"That's not what I meant." Valerie glared back.

"If you must know, I'm hiding from Dash." Danny spat.

"Ha. Didn't think he'd pick on a big _'hero'_ like you." Valerie said the word hero as one might say Hitler or dung.

"While I am flattered by your opinion of me, he's trying to get me to sign his posters, and his replica jumpsuit, and his Danny Phantom hat, and his shoes…" Danny sighed. Valerie looked at him, and if he didn't know any better, he'd assume she was looking at him with pity. Though it mostly seemed to be amusement.

"I knew he was a fan boy, but this is ridiculous." Valerie glanced over Danny's shoulder. Danny looked around hesitantly as if waiting for Dash to jump from the shadows. Valerie sighed.

"Look… I know a place." Valerie forced Danny's hood up and over his eyes. Danny blinked as Valerie peeked around the corner dragging him through the school. They crept through the halls, avoiding the public eye more than worried about teachers. Soon Valerie was in front of a door Danny had never bothered to notice. Valerie was doing something with the lock that Danny could see.

"Ta-da!" Valerie presented as the door swung open.

"Did you… did you pick the lock?" Danny blinked.

"You better not make any jokes." Valerie glared leading Danny up a flight of stairs.

"No… I'm impressed." Danny admitted as the trudged up the stairs. The door let out onto the roof. Valerie showed him some old couch cushions.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Danny raised an eyebrow. Valerie turned her head flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"I don't need to explain myself to you ghost." She walked to the edge of the roof and leaned on the fence looking over the school grounds.

"Well… I'd like to explain myself to you." Danny sighed, "Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, with me wrecking your life, unintentionally or not… but I'd like to apologize. Just because I didn't mean to ruin your life doesn't mean that I'm not responsible. I was… I had just become a ghost and honestly I wasn't fully in control of my powers." Danny sighed.

"I know." Valerie sighed.

"You know?" Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I'm not stupid okay. I just thought it would be easier than admitting…" Valerie sighed exasperatedly then looked at Danny, "than admitting I was wrong about you. It's easier to sneer at you and say mean things, because… because that's what I've been doing for the past year or so…" Valerie walked over and sat on the couch cushions.

"Excuse me?" Danny sat next to her.

"Look Phantom, we've obviously had our challenges, but… I like you better as an ally than an enemy. And after that thing with Danielle… I know about Masters. You were right." Valerie sighed, "And of course I didn't listen, because I was too busy planning how to kick your butt." She gave Danny a look that may have been an attempt at a glare.

"I can't say my life is better off because of you and that ghost dog, heaven knows it's not better off. But you know… I have my dad still, and I made some great friends who don't care whether I can afford the latest fashions or can wave around the most cash… or… friends that mock me for the colour of my skin the second I stop being popular." Valerie glared at the ground.

"Whoa… Val… I had no idea." Danny put a hand on her shoulder, Valerie shrugged it off.

"The thing is, I've wasted so much time and energy planning to destroy you, because of how you ruined my life… but I guess I never appreciated the things that I do have." Valerie glanced at Danny. "I wanted to ask your advice." She admitted.

"My advice? On what?" Danny blinked. Valeire reached into her pocket and unfolded a check.

"Whoa… that's a lot of zeros." Danny glanced.

"Time was I would have cashed that check in an instant." Valerie let Danny look at it. "The thing is… now that I know what kind of man Vlad Masters is… I don't know if I can do it."

"You want to know if you should cash it?" Danny handed the check back to her, "That's not really my expertise." He admitted.

"I was kind of hoping you'd say something about taking the money from the bad guy that would make me feel better about cashing it." Valerie grumbled as she stared at the check.

"The choice to cash it is yours… though Vlad will probably get suspicious if you don't." Danny added, "And you could move out of that apartment, and help your father find a better job, you could even buy your way back into the in crowd and live the life you were living before I ruined it for you… but that money… it's hard to say where it comes from. If you cash it Vlad will just replace it, either through robbery, extortion, overshadowing millionaires, or utilizing the less fortunate." Danny frowned, "Then again even if you don't cash it he'll continue to do what he's doing, so in the end… I have no idea. If it was me; I wouldn't cash it. Mostly because I hate the bastard and my family is fairly well off as it is." Danny shrugged, "But… you could use the money, even if you didn't buy a flashy house with it, you could put it toward college, or donate it. In the end it's your choice." Danny shrugged, "I'm not so good with decisions in my own life let alone others."

"I know." Valerie folded the check back up and put it in her pocket. She looked over to Danny and nudged his shoulder with her own, "Did you have plans for college." Danny chuckled.

"Yeah… I'd always wanted to be an astronaut." Danny looked off into the stars, "but the accident happened and pretty much killed that dream. Not that I still didn't want to be an astronaut, I mean I've landed a rocket before and even got shot into space… though you knew about that last one… but I didn't have the grades for it." Danny frowned and looked away.

"How about now?" Valerie asked.

"Now?"

"Well yeah, I mean you're not a ghost anymore. You probably couldn't fight any ghosts in your state anyway. You have every chance to live a normal life." Valerie explained, "So… why don't you?" she looked to Danny.

"Valerie… even if I wanted to live a normal life how am I supposed to do that as Danny Phantom?" He sighed rubbing the back of his neck, "Maybe if I'd brought my grades up, stopped sleeping through class, better managed the ghost fighting, got some tutoring… perhaps I could have lived a normal life… perhaps I could have… but … not as Danny Phantom." Danny leaned against the wall staring up at the sky.

"As Danny Fenton though?" Valerie asked. Danny jumped looking at Valerie.

"Don't look so surprised, I'm not stupid." Valerie rolled her eyes.

"I… I know that but… how long have you known?" He asked.

"Not long." Valerie shrugged, "I started thinking about it with Danielle, thought maybe you were like her. And her human half did look an awful lot like you... well Danny Fenton… but I never really confirmed it till now. Your mannerisms, your speech patterns, the way you were talking about still going to school and ghost fighting, especially with your emphasis on not being able to have a life as Danny _Phantom_ and the fact that you want to be an astronaut… It wasn't hard to connect the dots." Valerie shrugged. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

"And have you trying to waste me as Danny _Fenton_ as well as _Phantom_. No thanks." Danny teased.

"Fair enough." Valerie looked at Danny, "How'd it happen?"

"What?" Danny frowned, "How I became half ghost or how I became a human version of my ghost half?"

"Both I guess." Valerie shrugged.

"You know the ghost portal in my parent's lab?" Danny stared at the ground.

"Yeah… the one that lets all the ghosts into our world, barring natural portals?" Valerie nodded.

"It didn't always work… in fact was written off as failed… so… I went to check it out." Danny sighed.

"If it was failed… then how did _you_ get it to work?" Valerie raised an eyebrow.

"The on switch was inside the portal." Danny looked up at her. Valerie's eyes went wide and a hand flew to her mouth.

"Oh my god."

"As for how I became a human version of my ghost half… you heard my parents spiel when the revealed their big successful experiment right?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. But I would have thought it would have made you normal again, human as in Danny Fenton." Valerie frowned.

"I might have thought that too, my best guess is the converted my ectoplasmic DNA to human, meaning how I look as Phantom." Danny shrugged, "Quite possibly it was divine intervention, a 'lesson' or maybe somebody's amusement." Danny crossed his arms over his legs and let his chin rest on his arms.

"How are you going to get back to normal?" Valerie glanced down at Danny.

"I don't know."

They sat in silence for a while. Inside the school the bell rang. Danny sighed standing up.

"Well, I better go see what fresh hell sixth period will bring." He held his hand out to Valerie helping her up, "for what it's worth, I'm still sorry for ruining your life." Danny gave a weak smile. Valerie returned it.

"Bygones."

**I am constantly flattered by your reviews. Thanks for everything everyone, honestly, the more reviews I get the more I'm motivated to put out another chapter. Anyway, tune in next time for another chapter.**


	13. The Hourglass

Things were a little easier with Valerie in his life. Of course Sam and Tucker did not approve, but honestly, it was a relief that someone else knew about his predicament. Plus Valerie was in a few of his classes so she offered to help him catch up on some of his work. They sat in Danny's bedroom as Danny bounced a ball against the wall catching it when it bounced back and repeating the cycle.

"Will you please stop doing that it's driving me crazy." Valerie glared.

"I get restless." Danny continued throwing the ball against the wall. Valerie grabbed the ball out of the air as it made it's way back to Danny.

"You know you could do something about this homework." Valerie glared.

"I don't see why I should." Danny stuck his tongue out.

"Uh… because you don't want to flunk." Valerie gave him a harsh look.

The box ghost floated out of the middle of Danny's bed.

"Beware!" was his greeting, Danny looked to Valerie and Valerie looked to Danny.

"Aren't you going to do something?" Valerie asked.

"Aren't you? No ghost powers remember." Danny shot back.

"Ugh, fine, but only if you do some homework, or you get to deal with him." Valerie proposed.

"Fine." Danny sat down at the desk. The box ghost had already taken off out the window and Valerie was jumping out right behind him. Danny chuckled, it was a very strange for Valerie to know who he was, and know that he knew who she was. HE tried to focus on his homework but the words on the page swam before his face.

"English, English, English…" Danny chanted to himself as if that would make the pages make anymore sense, "I'm not convinced that this is English." He muttered glaring at the book. Suddenly he shivered and a cold breath of air puffed in front of him.

"Oh no." as he swiveled around Skulker was standing there.

"Hello ghost child." Skulker smiled. Danny jumped up backing into the desk. Skulker loomed in front of him yet seemed confused; he looked down at his scanner.

"Uh… Can we do this some other time?" Danny tried. Skulker frowned and looked from his scanner to Danny then back to his scanner.

"This can't be correct." He grabbed Danny by the leg holding him up, Danny's shirt falling up .

"HEY! PUT ME DOWN!" Danny griped, all he could see was the white his shirt and a portion of the room. Suddenly Skulker was poking him in the ribs.

"STOP! QUIT THAT!" Danny struggled to pull his shirt back down. As he did Skulker held him higher to bring him level with his eyes.

"You're human." He stated.

"Gee. What took you so long." Danny quipped, "I don't suppose it was the lack of a ghostly glow, or perhaps the fact that I'm wearing regular clothes, or maybe the fact that I DIDN'T KICK YOUR BUTT THE SECOND YOU WALKED IN THE DOOR!"

"This doesn't make sense." He dropped Danny back onto the bed, "You've been off the radar for weeks, yet you suddenly popped up again allowing me to track you down. Yet you are unmistakably human, and therefore not worthy prey." Skulker tapped on the device on his arm.

"Or you just remembered where I lived." Danny rubbed his sore leg.

"Of course I could always mount your skull on my wall because of the trouble you've caused me." A large glowing blade slid out of the armor. Danny's eyes widened.

"You're not serious." He scampered of the bed and into the door his hand scrambling for the handle. A blast shot through the door and Danny ducked, it threw Skulker across the room. More blasts came through the door, Danny covered his head and lay on the floor. The smoking door opened, and Danny scrambled out of the way. His mom stood there with a gun.

"Where's Valerie? Is she safe?" She asked all the time keeping her eyes on Skulker, whose suit was malfunctioning due to the fire.

"Uh… she forgot a book so she went home to get it." Danny quickly covered. Maddie nodded then pulled something off her belt throwing it to Danny who caught it quickly. It was the Fenton thermos.

"You know how to use it correct." Maddie said it more as a statement. Danny stood.

"Yes." He looked at Skulker who was trying to free himself of his ruined suit. Danny uncapped the lid and sucked the small green ghost into the thermos, re capping it cutting of Skulker's protests.

Maddie lowered the weapon.

"Are you alright?" She looked to Danny. Danny let out a breath.

"Yeah… I thought… I thought I was going to die." Danny's knees gave out on him. He was shaking and breathing heavily. Whether he admitted it or not this encounter scared him as much as the first time he'd fought a ghost. He tried to slow his breathing. Suddenly his mom was there rubbing circles into his back.

"I… I guess I've never really thought about… I could have died. Before I was already dead… I was scared, but… this is the most frightened I've been since I got my powers." Danny swallowed, "I don't know why. I've faced worse, I've faced scarier, seen so much… I don't understand why this affects me so much." He tried to steady his shaking hands. He put his hand to his throat, "He was going to mount my head on his wall… gross… and yet… he's said it before… it just seemed so much more possible this time." Danny continued taking deep breaths. Soon he calmed down. Maddie, while rubbing his back in comfort was silent. He half expected a hug or a comforting word, but her expression showed that he mind was somewhere else.

"Mo… Maddie?" Danny tried. Maddie looked to Danny.

"It'll be ok. We'll be upgrading the security soon." She took the thermos from his hands, "We need to clean this mess up." She glanced around the room and the scorch marks and the abandoned suit that popped and buzzed. Danny nodded but Maddie was already leaving the room. Danny paused then sat back at his desk and returned to the, slightly smoking, homework he was supposed to be working on.

Now he really couldn't focus. Skulker had rattled him up, if his ghost sense hadn't gone of it might have just taken his head of. Danny paused. His ghost sense? He felt as if it had gone off before Skulker appeared. He closed his eyes recalling the sense of cold in his chest, remembering the wisp of condensed air that alerted him. Had it truly been his ghost sense? He knew that spirits were known to alter the environment around them, dropping the temperature was one well known side effect. Had it just been cold because Skulker had dropped in, or was it his ghost sense. Danny ran a hand through his hair. He had tried thousands of times before, not giving up on the possibility that his powers could return. He took a deep breath and placed his hand on the desk hesitating now. He tried to access his ghostly core, and he pressed his hand into the table. He shivered and it felt as if the wood would give away and his hand would pass through, but it didn't, the desk remained solid beneath his palm.

"Whoa… what happened here?" Valerie stood in the room and deactivated her suit. Danny glanced around.

"Oh… yeah, Skulker showed up, wanted to mount my skull on his wall." Danny tried to reply in an offhand matter as if it was something that happened every day. But his voice still shook slightly.

"Gross." Valerie frowned, then she looked at Danny, "Whoa… are you ok?"

"Sure… why wouldn't I be?" Danny tried to smiled.

"First of all because you were just attacked, second of all because you're pale as a ghost…" Valerie paused at her word choice. Danny tried not to but eventually he began snickering.

"You know what I mean!" she defended.

"Well it's ironic." Danny laughed. Valerie rolled her eyes.

"Well at least you still have a sense of humor." She walked back over to Danny's desk looking at his progress.

"What do you think about question number…" She picked up the paper…"You know what… lets got with question number four, Question number one has a hole blasted through it."

* * *

><p>After his little escapade the first night Maddie had placed sensors on the doors and windows that alerted her to any escape attempts, something Danny had found out rather quickly after attempting to sneak out a couple times. He let his forehead rest against the cool glass pane and stared out onto the street. He had to talk to Sam, or Tucker about the potential return of his ghost powers.<p>

The room was dark so the street below was visible quite clearly beneath him, his breath fogged up the glass and it seemed like it was about to rain. The sky was darker than normal, the moon and the stars hidden behind roiling clouds, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled through the streets.

Danny closed his eyes and remembered flying in a thunderstorm. The first time had been terrifying, the wind howling around him, trying to pull him every which direction, the lighting in the air caused him to buzz with anticipation, hyper aware of everything around him. The clouds moving across the sky almost wavelike, angry and commanding respect. The surprisingly warm splattering against his face, arms, back, shoulders, legs, everywhere. Hair in his eyes, plastered against his skin and his arms shaking as he tried navigating the storm clouds, eyes wide, frightened, humbled.

That first time… the first time had been terrifying. After he'd landed, he'd been shaking so badly his knees gave out under him and he nearly sunk through the floorboards. Yet he'd felt alive, full of energy, while scared he'd discovered something in himself, something that yearned to feel. He'd never told Sam or Tucker how it felt. But he tried again, more daring each time, with each new thunderstorm, he'd found renewed strength. He'd even once gotten shocked by lightning, afterward he felt like he could fly for hours, the buzzing through his body needed to be released. The lightning however, had not had the same effect on his suit, he had landed burned and smoking, eyes glowing fiercely and scared the psychologist out of Jazz who had been waiting for him to come home. She spent a couple moments gaping like a fish before demanding explaining, quite upset when Danny shrugged it off.

A night like this would be one spent among the clouds, daring nature, his core alight with lightning, playing tag with the elements.

Danny's hand pressed against the window much like a child would at a candy shop, he felt the hollowness set back into his chest. Longing and empty he stared out the window, the rain began to spatter, no longer warm or full of life, but cold and taunting.

Danny peeled himself away from the window as his forehead and hand began to go numb with cold. He pulled up to the used laptop his mom had purchased to help him with his homework. He debated logging into the chat room to talk to Sam and Tucker, but he was certain after the last computer fiasco that she was watching everything. Ironically school would be the safest place.

His homework had miraculously been completed earlier that night, after much help from Valerie of course. It lay in a stack on his desk. He flipped through the online games tab before closing the computer angrily as if it was to blame for his current state.

He glanced back out at the sky, flickering with light. The clock on his bedside suddenly went dark and there was a whine of the heat powering down. Danny returned to the window.

"Please…" he begged to the sky, hoping someone, clockwork perhaps, would hear him, "Let me go ghost." But his appearance remained unremarkable as ever.

He returned to pacing the room in an agitated flurry.

As he paced he debated why he didn't just tell his mom who he was. Why he didn't just explain the situation. If he did surely she could fix it. But what if she couldn't? And what if she thought fixing the situation would be making him 100% human again? What if she didn't believe him? What if she sent him to live with Vlad? Could Vlad help? Danny paused at this thought. Vlad could help… but then again if he could wouldn't he have done so already? On the other hand it would be like Vlad to leave him stranded like he was just to see him suffer, and squirm. Or perhaps Vlad didn't know how to fix the mess he was in anyway. Danny could call him and ask, but he certainty didn't want to deal with the sneer and the false sympathy of his arch-enemy, who would no doubt demand Danny become his son or something equally ridiculous. Besides his ghost powers weren't quite worth that… yet.

He wanted to call his friends, to talk to them, express his anger, frustrations, and hopes. He wanted reassurance that he wasn't crazy or imaging that he saw his ghost sense. However, there was no one to witness it besides him, or possibly Skulker. After the near decapitation, he wasn't in the mood to talk to Skulker.

Hadn't Skulker said something about picking him up on his radar… could his powers have triggered it. It seemed more likely that Skulker had just remembered his address… but… the hunter had seemed genuinely confused when he realized Danny was human.

More than anything Danny wanted to believe that his powers were returning, that everything would be ok. But life had taught him things were never that easy, and never that straightforward.

Danny flopped onto the bed burying his face in his pillow until it became hard to breathe. He emerged seconds later and glared up at the ceiling before jumping off the bed to pace once more. He returned to the window and placed his hand upon the glass pane, he tried to remember what it felt like to phase through things, how he triggered it.

It felt like breaking through the surface of water, but it also felt almost like pins and needles. Danny imagined the feeling of his hand passing through the window, concentrating and pushing on the glass as if it would make a difference. For a moment the glass gave away, but suddenly Danny felt a horrible burning through his body.

His ears began to ring and vision blurred and he pulled his hand back grabbing the nearby wastebasket and vomiting into it. He lay heaving eyes closed against the waste basket, his hand felt like it had been run through a meat grinder, set on fire, and then for good measure, thrown into an acid bath. The rest of his body ached; his joints were stiff as if he'd acquired rigor mortis. He panted heavily trying to regain his breath, which felt as if it had been knocked from him. He couldn't move, his vision continued to be clouded. His head was pounding, he vomited once more into the rubbish bin, it burned up his throat.

Danny wasn't sure how long he'd been hunched over the trash when his vision started to clear and the pain lessened, his joints unfreezing as he collapsed to the ground. His face was wet, he wiped at his eyes expecting tears but bright green ectoplasm greeted him. Danny groaned and lay on the ground for a while longer, without the strength to move. He looked to his right hand, the hand he'd managed to phase through the window. The fingers were still stiff; there was a cyanic tinge to the fingertips. The pain in his hand began to lessen and he tried to move his fingers to no avail.

Danny closed his eyes, his ears continued to ring, but he'd gotten the message. He wasn't supposed to step over the line between life and death the way he once had. There were consequences to be paid. His success was a warning.

The ground felt nice, the thunder was no longer soothing nor a reminder of better times, but an angry intrusion into his pounding head. Slowly Danny drifted off to sleep like that, laying on the floor next to his bed, wastebasket near by and ectoplasm streaming down his face.

In his dreams he stood before Clockwork, the ghost was silent in his assessment of Danny's human ghost form.

"So now you know the consequences." Clockwork said. Danny blinked then shook his head.

"What? The consequences of what?"

"Look." Clockwork pointed to an hourglass, the sand was flowing at a slow pace, it was just over an eighth full. A mirror appeared on each side of the hourglass, one depicted the hourglass at an earlier time, and the other depicted Danny at the window. The sand was falling through at the same slow pace, but the hourglass was less than a sixteenth full, then without warning it began to fall quickly all at once as Danny's hand pressed against the window and suddenly fell through. As mirror Danny's hand retracted and the side effects followed the hourglass in the mirror slowed down till it reached the steady pace it was at before.

"You have limited time on this earth young Phantom, and as you know, Time… is everything." Clockwork replaced the hourglass, "Now you know your powers can be used, should the desire be strong enough. But you will pay a terrible price, Time is not on your side."

"Time isn't on my side?" Danny blinked, "If you haven't noticed, time is never on my side." Danny looked to the Time Master, "You knew about this didn't you." He accused.

"Of course." Clockwork responded. Danny felt himself growing hot.

"And yet you did nothing to prevent it!" He glared.

"Calm down child, there was nothing I could do." Clockwork's monotone irritated Danny.

"You once told me you could see all the twists and turns and various out comes of life, all the roads that it may or may not take. What kept you from directing the flow of traffic!?"Danny yelled. Clockwork sighed.

"With each decision you make certain roads open, other close. We chose to save your family, you chose to save them, you made a vow to save them, and at the moment you did that, all other roads closed off. Only one path remained, where it goes from there however, is up to you." Clockwork explained. Danny paused.

"So… I don't have to die." He thought to the hourglass ticking away moments of his time.

"No. You're going to die, everyone dies. The only choices you have are when and how and what to do with your life until the moment that your heart stops beating." Clockwork shrugged and began floating away.

"I don't want to die, you can fix this!" Danny yelled at the ghost running after him, Clockwork turned suddenly.

"Everyone dies, it's a side effect of life, I cannot change that no more than I can change the tides of the earth or the flow of time. I may manipulate it, bend it and make a mockery of it, but in the end Time only flows forward. And I wouldn't have it any other way." Clockwork's voice had seemed calm, but his words were harsh. Danny backed down.

"I'm… I'm scared." Danny admitted. Clockwork's face became kind.

"Do you think that I am not? I can see the end of Time child, there will come a point when Time will end. It is a very far way off; so far not even humans will live to see the end of it. At the end I only I remain, till the end of time as all others fade away. Do you think that I am not scared?" Clockwork's words were soft. Danny looked to the ground, "It does not do well to dwell on eventualities, live the life you are given now."

The dream darkened and Clockwork faded away, leaving Danny alone. He became aware of the scenery around him, dark, but his body illuminated as if by an inner light. There was darkness in all directions forever. Danny stood and began walking hoping to come upon something in the darkness so that he may find his way free again.

Soon the ground beneath him turned into a glowing path. The path felt familiar, it filled him with warmth as he walked along. At the end of the path was a door, Danny knew he needed to reach the door, but as he tried, he found he could not get any closer, not as fast as he ran nor as large of steps he took, it stayed in the distance taunting him. A ticking noise filled the space, echoing on forever as he tried to reach the door. Once more the path beneath his feet gave away and suddenly we was falling, falling forever into blackness.

With a jerk Danny woke up. There was the distant rumble of thunder and the patter of rain had relented.

As Danny sat up he felt his face, ectoplasm had dried on it, sticky and gross. Danny peered into the trashcan, a mixture of blood and ectoplasm in addition to supper greeted him. He sat up and leaned against the bed running a hand through his hair as he took deep breaths. The alarm clock on the bedside table was still dark neglecting to inform him of the time. His joints were stiff with cold telling him the heating was still out with the electricity.

Danny attempted to clean his face with his hands, but the ectoplasm was like syrup and he only ended up making a bigger mess of it. Danny stood bringing the trash can with him as he creeped to the bathroom.

He fumbled around for some candles and a lighter he knew his mom kept in the bathroom in case of power outages. Which were more common than one would think especially with ghost attacks in the town. Danny was surprised the generator hadn't kicked in, but likely it was busy lending all its power to keep the portal working.

Before long a flickering light illuminated the bathroom. Danny locked the door then dumped the contents of the rubbish bin down the toilet. He flushed then proceeded to use the tub to rinse out the plastic bin and pour it down the toilet. With a final flush he turned his attention to his own clean up. His throat burned and the sticky green goop was not only on his face but in his hair, down the side of his throat and on his hands. Danny pulled off his clothes and stepped into the shower. The water was marginally warm but Danny suspected it wouldn't stay that way for long. He cleaned his body of the ectoplasmic residue, the water cold and raising a chill by the time he finished cleaning the mess out of his hair.

As he finished showering and turning the water off he shivered. He quickly toweled off and dried his hair before wrapping the towel around himself. Abandoning his clothes in the rest room and blowing out the candles Danny journeyed back to his room bring the bin back with him. He quickly dressed in pajamas and crawled under the covers shivering, trying to get warm. Eventually the heater turned back on and began blowing warm air. Still Danny shivered under the blankets. The numbers on his clock were flashing 12:00 constantly.

He heard someone use the bathroom, though time seemed to have vanished from the world. Eventually his eyes drifted shut as the room warmed, and he soon drifted into a dreamless sleep.

**And the curtain lifts.**

**Hope you guys like the update enough not to hunt me down and burn me alive for killing Danny. (Though he's not dead yet I remind you).**

**Fun Fact, I barely edited this chapter because I am lazy and my sociology homework and histology homework needs more proofreading!**

_**WITH THAT FUN FACT AM LEAN INTO THE EXCITING NEW THAT I AM LOOKING FOR A BETA.**_

_**SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE MY BETA LET ME KNOW, IT COMES WITH THE ADDED BONUS OF READING CHAPTERS BEFORE THEY ARE RELEASED. SEND ME SOME LINKS TO THINGS YOU'VE BETA-ED IF YOU'VE DONE SO. EXPERIENCE NOT REALLY NEEDED BUT HELPFUL. BUT HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND WILL BE WILLING TO CORRECT STUPID MISTAKES LIKE TOT HE INSTEAD OF TO THE AND THOUGHT INSTEAD OF THROUGH. ETC.**_

**On that happy note I leave you with this chapter and a hatred of my guts.**


	14. Into the Broom Closet

It was still drizzling on the way to school the next day. Danny sat quietly in the passenger seat as Jazz drove them to school. While Maddie hadn't quite given up the control of having Danny driven by a Fenton, she had relinquished control enough to allow Jazz in the drivers seat. In the meantime Maddie and Jack were frantically trying to find Danny. While it hadn't been so apparent while Maddie was trying to juggle enrolling Phantom in school and getting him a social security card etc. now it was a mad house. She spent hours on the phone with distant relatives to see if Danny had gone that way or if they'd seen him, or organizing to have Danny's picture appear on the news, yelling at the cops for not doing anything, or trying to convince websites to host adds with Danny's picture and the caption, _have you seen this boy?_ Little did they know he was right in front of them riding to school with Jazz at that very moment.

Jazz sighed and pulled into the parking lot at Casper High looking over at Danny who had remained quiet the entire journey. Normally this wouldn't be too much cause for concern, both siblings had a lot on their minds, but Danny seemed to be trying to say something, but would shake his head and mutter to himself.

"Obviously something is wrong, so why don't you come out an say it." Jazz let the car idle as they sat in the parking lot, students milling about in the schoolyard.

Danny looked out the window quiet he absent-mindedly rubbed his right hand. He thought about it, the incident, the dream with clockwork, what to say. Danny looked down at his right hand again, the one that had suffered the most from the incident. Even now there was a faint tingle to it, while he'd regained motion and sensation, the hand continued to remind him of his trespass.

"I…" Danny sighed, he suddenly felt so tired, he wanted to be angry, he _was_ angry, there was just nothing he could do about his anger. Danny shivered and looked back to Jazz who was looking at him expectantly. Danny tried to figure some way to say what he wanted to say without sounding crazy. _I had this dream last night where the ghost master of time said I was going to die soon…_ that would likely freak her out. _I used my ghost powers last night. Yeah, no, it was great, I was just in crippling pain afterward and felt like a living corpse. Hahaha I mean more than I usually do._ Danny frowned, perhaps his mental rant had been a bit too sarcastic, but honestly he didn't know what to say.

"When you're ready I'm here." Jazz assured.

Danny wanted to growl that he knew that, he just didn't know how to put what he needed to say into words. His fists clenched his right one thrummed briefly as if someone and drawn a violin bow over the nerves.

"I…" he started again, "I… clockwork… ghosts… intangibility." It all came out in a jumble of words. Jazz frowned, "ItriedtouseghostpowersandthenitdidntquiteworkallgoodrightuntilitdidworkandtherewassomuchpainithoughtiwasgoingtodieforthesecondtimeyesterdayandwiththepoweroutandtheneverythingwasdarkandiwasthrowingupbloodandectoplasmandthelightningandmywholebodywasstiffandcoldandmyhandstillhurtsithoughtithadbeenchoppedoffithurtbutthenitwasblueandfistinafistclenchedagainstthepainandithinkibledectoplasmfromyeyesandthentherewasadreamthatwasntadreamwithclockworkandhetoldmeiwasdyingandthatididnthavemuchtimeleftonthisearthandthatusingmypowersexceleratedmydesabilatzaionordehumanizationthatiwasgoingtodieforsurewhenthehourglassranoutiwasoutofTimeandthatTimewasntonmysidenotlikeiteverisand…"

"Danny." Jazz grabbed both of her brother's hands, "Calm down I can hardly understand you. I heard something about ghosts and powers and pain, and possible bodily injury in addition to time and an hourglass… but I really can't understand anything you're saying. Take a deep breath and slow down." Jazz squeezed his hands. Danny complied; it in fact took several deep breaths. The school bell rang frightening them both. Danny felt both relieved and cheated. He had a chance to unload and wasted it, but it saved him from the torment of Jazz's reaction to the news.

"I have to get to class." Danny ducked pulling his bag out with him and he raced up the steps into Mr. Lancer's class room. Mr. Lancer greeted him with a nod, the rest of the class filed in.

You would think that after a week or two of sitting next to a celebrity it would get old, but apparently the novelty had yet to wear off and people stared at him and whispered behind their hands just as much as the first time. Danny wished that he could get used to the attention or that it would slowly go away once he proved to be uninteresting, but so far there had been no such luck.

He stared hard down at the desk in front of him. There wasn't anyone he particularly knew in this class, people he saw everyday and knew the approximate names of, but no friends, at the point he would even take an enemy. Danny shivered and a few seconds later the box ghost's head appeared in the desk in front of him. It took him a minute to realize what this meant as the ghost didn't shout or wave his arms about immediately.

"Beware."

Danny sighed.

"I'm not in the mood." He stared at the head in his desk. The box ghost blinked.

"You seem different somehow, not the cylindrical container of doom wielding foe I have known." Box Ghost floated out of the desk and started examining Danny. Danny noticed that the class had all moved to the edge of the walls and were doing their best to phase through them. Danny watched the box ghost as he hovered around his head hmmming to himself.

"You are you but not you, what manner of occurrence has brought this on?" Box Ghost squinted. Danny felt like he was watching his life from the outside in, as if through a fun house mirror. He couldn't figure out how to respond, he didn't know how to make words or sounds or sentences. Ironic that he was sitting in English and couldn't make use of the language. Danny held his head running his hand through his hair.

"White hair… white…" Danny stared back down at the desk oblivious to the Box Ghost who had grown tired of waiting for an answer and was attempting, and in some cases succeeding, to scare the class with rounds of "boo" and "I am the Box Ghost," and of course "Beware."

Screaming eventually got the attention of the class next door who peeked in to investigate, Sam and Tucker along with the throng. The rolled their eyes when the saw the Box Ghost but hesitated as their eyes fell on Danny staring at the desk his hands covering his face.

A loud noise jerked Danny's head up, the Box Ghost had found an oh so coveted box in the class room and was ejecting it's contents upon the student body. Danny shook his head and stood up.

"I'm not in the mood." He repeated, "Not in the mood." He mumbled. Luckily the contents were not deadly, but the practice tests may have caused a few paper cuts.

"Beware." The Box Ghost yelled at Danny. Danny grabbed him by the front of his overalls.

"I said _I'M NOT IN THE MOOD._ I'm dying, and I'm going stir crazy, and I hate every second I spend in this stupid place trapped in this form with no escape from the endless parade of life. I am not in the mood to put up with your crazy box fetish and your stupid rants." Danny growled glaring into the Box Ghost's eyes.

"Beware?" The Box Ghost shrugged then disappeared. Danny's knees gave out and suddenly he felt like vomiting again.

_Tick-tock_

Sam and Tucker were immediately at his side.

"Not in the mood." He mumbled.

"We're just gonna take him to the nurse." Sam smiled as the two supported his weight. Danny let his eyes close. As he wandered along the hall slowly, Sam and Tucker leading him.

Where they ended up was not the nurse's office but a disused broom cupboard that they had taken the liberty of dubbing PhantomHQ-at-School. They eased Danny into a swivel chair that they had liberated from the computer lab. Danny sagged in it his eyes remaining closed.

"Danny… dude…" Tucker snapped his fingers in Danny's face. Sam pushed him away.

"Danny, come on wake up." Sam shook him gently. Danny slowly opened his eyes shaking his head.

"I don't want to do this right now." He mumbled. He was trying to sort out his head. Why it had taken so long for the shock to hit him he didn't know. Perhaps it was the school, perhaps it had been his yelling his problem at Jazz so fast that she couldn't understand, perhaps it had been the box ghost. Danny rubbed his face and shivered.

"Are you going to tell us what happened?" Tucker prodded.

Suddenly it was spilling out, the things he hadn't meant to tell them, the things he'd meant to filter out of the story. The attempt to use his powers, the brief success and subsequent consequences, the dreams about dying in the portal the dreams about the endless darkness and a door he could never quite reach and falling and at last the hourglass. The hourglass clocking the amount of time he had left to live. They sat silent the entire time just listening. As Danny finished silence stretched between them, Danny leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. The bell rand and soon the halls were filled with bustling activity again. Sam locked the door in the off chance someone would open the door.

"Dude." Tucker said at last, "I trust your judgment and all… but I have to point out… these dreams could just be dreams right? That doesn't make the whole thing with using your powers any less scary, but it could just be a dream."

"I'm telling you Tucker it was more than a dream." Danny sat up, "It was real… I know I was asleep, and I know that I was dreaming, but that doesn't make it any less valid! We've been to people's dreams before right? Obviously a ghost as powerful as clockwork would have been able to accomplish something like that if I could." Danny snapped. Tucker held up his hands.

"I believe you, I was just hoping that there could be a light at the end of this tunnel." Tucker surrendered.

"Tucker's right Danny, you don't need to snap at him." Sam folded her arms, "that said we should make a trip to the ghost zone."

"With Danny powerless and the Fenton portal locked? Good luck getting Jazz or the Fentons to agree to it. As far as we know, we're the only humans to ever go into the ghost zone. I don't think the Fenton's would be pleased with the idea." Tucker frowned.

"Speaking of Jazz does she know?" Sam turned away from her fight with Tucker to interrogate Danny. Danny sighed.

"I tried to tell her this morning but the words wouldn't come." Danny wrapped his left hand around his right as if to protect it, "I tried." Danny sunk back into the chair. Sam and Tucker exchanged looks.

"Look Danny we can explain the situation if you want, it seems like you've got a lot on your plate at the moment." Sam took Danny's right hand into hers, "But… I think we should tell your parents."

"What?" Danny sat up, "No way."

"Danny… I hate to say it but you aren't looking too good. Your parents, if nothing else, could find a way to stabilize you." Tucker argued. Danny was silent for a moment.

"No." He insisted Sam and Tucker opened their mouths to argue, "Before you say anything, if it is necessary, I will tell them, but they probably won't believe me, they will probably think I'm crazy, and more importantly, as much as I hate to admit it… Time only flows in one direction. No matter what happens… they might be able to slow down the clock, but eventually I'm going to die… according to Clockwork… eventually is rather soon." Danny sighed.

"Slowing it is good no matter what isn't it?" Sam pointed out.

"I don't want to tell them ok! I can't tell them right now. I have the whole being human thing and dying as a human and other things like doing school work and trying to avoid my mom… I can't deal with their reactions and doubts right now!" Danny stood up. Sam and Tucker exchanged looks.

"Calm down." Tucker, "We won't tell them if you don't, it's your choice… I'm just pointing out options." Tucker held his hand up. Danny sighed.

"I know. Sorry." He held his head in his hands as the tardy bell rang signaling the start of the next class, "I just can't do this, I can't be here, I hate this."

Sam and Tucker exchanged looks. Danny felt pathetic and useless and trapped. He was tired of feeling like his life was spinning out of control.

"I just can't _live_ like this!" He stood up and punched the wall, unfortunately using his right hand, which still hadn't fully recovered. His nerves vibrated all the way up his arm and Danny fell to his knees cradling his arm and swearing.

Sam and Tucker frowned, they wanted to say something, anything to make him feel better, but neither of them could think of anything. A knock came on the door and Sam peeked out. Valerie raised an eyebrow before letting herself in. Sam scowled.

"You know people can hear you cursing in here." She said to Danny. Danny glared in response, which somehow struck Valerie as funny. Till she caught Sam and Tucker's looks.

"Whoa who died?" She folded her arms.

"Dying." Tucker corrected, "And it's Danny." He said, earning an elbow from Sam.

"_She_ doesn't need to know that Tucker." Sam hissed. Valerie frowned.

"_Excuse me?_ I may not be perfect, and I know we have our differences, but that was cold." She frowned, "I'm Danny's friend to."

"Stop arguing. I am not in the mood." Danny grumbled standing, yet stilling holding his arm, his knuckles were bleeding and he shook his head.

"You know what. I'm tired of you guys being at each other's throats. It might not be an ideal situation but seriously." Danny's depressed mood had given away to anger, anger at his friends for yelling at each other, anger at Clockwork for not telling him, warning him, anger at his parents for their inventions, anger at the Fenton Portal, just hot anger. Danny wasn't sure why he switched moods so fast, but anger felt better than nothing, the emptiness that had crept up into his chest. He forced the door open and marched out leaving Sam Tucker and Valerie in the closet while he went to his next class.

* * *

><p>Maddie had avoided Phantom since the computer incident. Something was wrong, something was off, and something didn't quite sit right, something… Maddie frowned. Jack bustled around the lab behind her as she stared at the DNA sequence with a frown. Jack was taking a blood sample from the puppy, he hadn't been as perky or cheerful lately, Phantom had been worried and brought it to their attentions. Since then the poor dog had numerous tests run on him. So far they couldn't find much of anything, and the poor dog stayed in confinement. Maddie stared at the DNA sequence harder. Something about it was wrong. On a sudden whim she ran it through the database. She expected it to take a while, given that it would run through the computer first before utilizing the Federal database, but within seconds it popped up. Maddie stared at the result. 99% match.<p>

"Jack…" Maddie called. Jack placed a vial of blood in the centrifuge before coming over to his wife.

"Yeah Mads?" He looked over his wife's shoulder, "That can't be right." He frowned.

"I'll double check." Maddie typed a few commands into the computer; it beeped once again before spitting out the same result. Maddie expanded the window. The 1% that didn't match up was cosmetic.

"This can't be right." Maddie echoed her husband. She turned to Jack.

"Remember when Danny got his appendix removed?" she tapped her finger against the desk.

"Yeah, he was six." Jack nodded.

"I have an idea." Maddie left the browser and headed upstairs, Jack frowned before pulling a picture of Phantom off the desk and following her.

The computer abandoned displayed the results of the search to an empty room.

_99% match Danny Fenton to Phantom._

**Hello all. Well that's the new chapter. Sorry it's a short one. But I've been busy with end of the year BS.**

**Exciting news I thought I'd share. Some of my art got accepted to the art magazine at my college, I have a reception to attend for it this Friday and I'm supper psyched.**

**I'M STILL LOOKING FOR A BETA.**

**I've looked over those who have sent me interest in the feedback section and I have some hopefuls, I may be contacting you soon, but I'd like to think about it. You'd have to be available to beta and be ok at English, if you haven't betaed before I'll accept good English grades. Etc. And if you sent me a guest review I can't contact you if you'd like to beta without your FF pen name or some way to contact you. Anyway, I'm not rejecting anyone who has already expressed interest, I'm just expanding my pool. Thanks for the interest.**


End file.
